Latest news and stories about public services in Leiria, Portugal for expats and residents.
Leiria has completed the analysis of 10,807 applications for storm damage recovery, with 7,694 approved and 2,731 rejected, as the municipality continues to address the aftermath of Storm Kristin.
CCDRC president Ribau Esteves denies claims of delays in post-Storm Kristin reconstruction efforts, citing a commitment to rigorous quality standards despite acknowledging resource constraints.
The PSD parliamentary group wants the expansion of Hospital de Santo André, which it considers to be a “structural and priority investment” to strengthen the capacity of the SNS and healthcare services in the region.
The Minister of Justice, Rita Alarcão Júdice, acknowledged the need for judicious investment to address the concrete needs of courts throughout the territory. “It is our responsibility to ensure that [magistrates and judicial staff] have the conditions to exercise their functions and that services are the ones most necessary to meet the demands of their mission,” she stated ...
The protest serves to demonstrate the 'dissatisfaction' of the parishes 'and also to demonstrate what the real impact of the parishes is'.
Parish councils across Portugal plan to shut down all services on November 4th to protest the 2027 State Budget proposal, which currently fails to address key demands. The National Association of Parish Councils (Anafre) is calling for increased funding, full-time status for parish leaders, updated transfer values for Lisbon parishes, and preferential rights to purchase property. Anafre has warned of further escalation, including the permanent closure of central government-linked services like Citizens' Shops and SNS24 counters, should negotiations fail before the budget's final vote.
The president complains about the lack of technical support and warns of an increase in cases.
The president of the Leiria CPCJ, which currently has about 340 cases and 29 pending analysis, says it lacks full-time technical support from both the education sector and Social Security.
The Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of the Leiria Region was the target of a cyberattack on Tuesday morning, its executive secretary revealed to Lusa on Wednesday. Paulo Santos adds that only one municipality is without email, as a precaution. 'In the early hours of yesterday [Tuesday], a ransomware attack (malicious virus) was identified on the server...'
The Intermunicipal Community (CIM) of the Leiria Region was hit by a ransomware attack on Tuesday, September 15. Executive secretary Paulo Santos confirmed that the system was isolated and data was recovered, with only one municipality, Porto de Mós, currently without email as a precautionary measure while migrating to Office 365. The incident has been reported to the authorities.
Of the 2,645 applications still awaiting municipal evaluation, approximately two thousand concern Marinha Grande. The mayor cites difficulties with applications submitted with incomplete data.
The Kristin memorial was created from one of the large roots that emerged from the ground during the storm on 28 January, the Local Health Unit (ULS) announced.
The necessary works, estimated at 178,000 euros plus VAT, include the total replacement of the roof and the repair of damage to the flooring and walls.
Storm Kristin, on 28 January, left thousands of people without water in the Leiria municipality due to power outages, which also affected the remote management systems of the Municipalized Water and Sanitation Services of Leiria.
A new pipeline connects the Monte Redondo reservoir to the Praia do Pedrógão and Ervedeira reservoirs, making the system more robust and resilient.
Residents have already asked the Marinha Grande local council for help, but so far, nothing has been done.
On the day marking seven months since the passage of the storm Kristin, which left a trail of destruction in Leiria, the municipality announced the conclusion of one of the largest operations for the reconstruction of homes destroyed by the severe weather. Mayor Gonçalo Lopes reported the completion of the analysis of the 10,807 applications for support.
Six months after the events, significant work remains to be completed in the municipality of Marinha Grande.
The service is operating, “provisionally, in the former Social Security premises, a deactivated medical post, without air conditioning and without minimum conditions for public service or for the operation of the back office.”
The mayor states that the municipality and residents have to support the inter-municipal company. He regrets that they are unable to take advantage of EU funds and challenges large cities to integrate with inland systems.
The estimate, according to Anacom, suggests that a large portion of access will be restored within two weeks.
The Mayor of Alvaiázere, João Paulo Guerreiro, told the Lusa agency that the municipality is in an “unsustainable situation” regarding communications, almost six months after the low-pressure system Kristin severely hit the territory. “Six months have already passed, it would have been more than enough time for us to be at another level of resolving the problem...
Residents in Óbidos can use the vehicles in the town.
Around 1,600 customers, mostly in the Leiria region, are still without fixed communication services nearly six months after Storm Kristin severely hit the area, the National Communications Authority (Anacom) reported this Tuesday. According to data recently provided by operators, there are about 1,600 fixed access points still affected as a result...
Due to the closure, service points were transferred to the Leiria Citizen's Shop, located at Largo das Forças Armadas, where the reinforcement will remain until the works are completed.
This building, located in Largo da República, is the only one currently closed.
The Ombudsman's Office received around fifty reports regarding the consequences of the low-pressure system Kristin, which severely hit the Leiria region nearly six months ago, leading to the opening of 15 formal complaint proceedings. The complaints highlight issues such as delays in public support, difficulties in accessing aid, and failures in restoring essential services like electricity and communications. The Ombudsman is also conducting an independent review of the authorities' response to the emergency, including evacuation procedures and support measures for affected populations.
The Ombudsman's office received around fifty reports related to the consequences of storm Kristin, which severely hit the Leiria region nearly six months ago, triggering 15 complaint cases, the entity revealed. Following storm Kristin, the Ombudsman's office received about fifty related reports.
Operators justify the delays with the volume of work following the storm. The municipality has already cleared 260 km of paths, but the removal of woody debris may take months.
Mayor Carlos Lopes stated that the operators justify their delays with the immense workload resulting from the storm and the lack of conditions and resources.
