Latest news and stories about public services in government in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Portugal is expanding its healthcare infrastructure to combat gambling addiction by planning two new public treatment centres, including one in Porto, building on the initial dedicated unit launched in Lisbon.
The cancellation of the Volta project does not require the repayment of Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funds to the European Commission.
Lisbon is planning to establish a network of dedicated 'AIMA Spaces' to streamline support services and residency processing for the migrant population.
Passengers at Lisbon airport report shorter waiting times following the government's deployment of additional resources, though some uncertainty persists regarding the efficacy of new automated systems.
Lisbon is currently facing a complete halt in scheduling for the renewal of identification cards.
The mayor also announces the reopening of mental health services.
Without adequate budgets or delegated powers, civil parishes cease to be a political body and become a banality mandated by law
One year ago, the people of Cascais entrusted me with the presidency of the Cascais City Council. During this first year, we began laying the foundations for the next ten. We have a vision for our municipality: Cascais for a lifetime. We want our residents to be able to grow, study, work, and raise a family with the quality of life they deserve. Consequently, one of our priorities is housing, with the goal of providing 3,600 housing solutions by 2029. In this first year, we have already allocated, on average, one home per day to our residents, and new municipal housing projects are currently in the preliminary study phase. At the same time, we are paving the way for new rental housing solutions through the 'Build to Rent' model and the development of cooperative projects. We also did what only we can do: acquire strategic land to combat real estate speculation. While a city council cannot solve the housing problems of the Portuguese people alone, it can and must set an example for all political decision-makers in the country. We still want more. Quality of life means having good healthcare services nearby, being able to go to a park close to home, enrolling our children in a good school, using free public transport, and feeling safe at all times. In Health, we opened SNS (National Health Service) counters in Carcavelos, Parede, and São Domingos de Rana, and the 'Bata Branca' project provides general and family medicine consultations to adults without a family doctor. In Education, we added 10 million euros to the budget and inaugurated the new Cascais Secondary School, an investment exceeding 32 million euros. We have already supported more than three thousand students with higher education scholarships, and we will transform the Pereira Coutinho School into a technical-vocational school. Regarding mobility, buses remain free, and we have created two new school bus lines and a connection between São Domingos de Rana and the Cascais Hospital. In the environment, we purchased almost 50 hectares of land for the municipality's largest urban park, which will be five to six times larger than the Marechal Carmona Park. In terms of safety, we have reorganized and strengthened the Municipal Police, inaugurated the Trajouce police station, and opened a Mental Health Office for the security forces. In the economy, we lowered the municipal share of income tax (IRS) to 4.5% and reduced the municipal property tax (IMI) by 15% for all primary and permanent residences. I have written that democracy begins in local life and ends in the quality of life of citizens. In the year that Cascais is also the European Capital of Democracy, we launched our largest Participatory Budget ever, with 12 million euros. Just as a house needs foundations, the future of Cascais needs pillars upon which we will build the next decade. This was only the first year of a project that is for a lifetime.
The party considers that the protests of the last week require concrete and immediate solutions. Additionally, an IT failure is affecting the National Health Service and forcing the suspension of appointments.
Employees accuse the board, composed of Joaquim Carreira, Ana Alves, and Luís Ferreira Lopes, of engaging in a “succession of acts of mismanagement and disrespect for the standards of independence.”
The 2027 State Budget (OE2027) forecasts 254 million euros in costs for public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the health sector, 34 million more than the 220 million projected for this year.
The Ministry of Education states that all 1st cycle classes without a teacher will be, “from today,” “covered through transitional measures” until a teacher is appointed. The Parish Council guarantees that this Wednesday there are still children at home.
October is a month for reflection on essential aspects of life, such as health and well-being, with a particular focus on mental health. With significant numbers of the population facing mental health challenges, local authorities play a crucial role in providing proximity-based support. In Cascais, initiatives like the new SNS 24 desks, support for victims of domestic violence, and community-building cultural events demonstrate how local government can act as a vital link in prevention and social support, working alongside the state and community institutions to ensure no one faces life's challenges alone.
The English presenter, known for being a close friend of Cristiano Ronaldo, claims that the Portuguese manager belittled and humiliated the former Portugal captain, failing to keep promises made.
He considers it a 'parliamentary practice'. Currently, two Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry are nearing completion: one regarding INEM and another concerning forest fires.
Thousands of people come to Portugal specifically to access healthcare services for free. The greatest pressure is noted in Greater Lisbon, the Alentejo Coast, and the Algarve.
The goal is to bring the sovereign body of Parliament closer to citizens in general.
According to Isabel Mendes Lopes, when there were regional Education directorates, they were the ones that maintained the connection with schools, which ceased to happen with the centralisation of services.
Several primary school classes are without teachers at the Luís António Verney School Group. Some students have been sent home, while others have been integrated into classes of different grade levels.
The union accuses the municipality of failing to meet commitments made in January. Gardeners, painters, and SMAS employees are demanding a response to their labour demands.
At 11:00, a demonstration is scheduled between Praça da Figueira and the Ministry of Finance in Lisbon, where a rally will be held with the presence of CGTP-IN secretary-general Tiago Oliveira.
For now, chaos continues at the Olival Personalised Health Care Unit in Cacém, in the municipality of Sintra. There have been queues since dawn. This Thursday, the PCP secretary-general was on-site to hear the complaints.
The work begins this Thursday at 07:30 with an outreach action involving users of the Olival Health Centre in Agualva-Cacém, in the municipality of Sintra.
Municipal groups from the Liberal Initiative (IL), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Chega, and PAN in the Sintra Municipal Assembly have presented a joint motion urging the City Council to intensify contacts with the Government regarding the potential transition of the Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca Hospital and the Sintra Hospital to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The parties argue that this management model could improve administrative flexibility and infrastructure investment, while the PS strongly criticises the move as a strategy to degrade the National Health Service and promote privatisation.
The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) holds parliamentary sessions focused on the rights of children and parents, emphasizing the importance of these policies for the future of Portugal.
A motion voted on this Wednesday at the municipal assembly proposes a public-private partnership for the Fernando Fonseca hospital and the new Sintra Hospital, which cost Sintra residents 64 million.
There are 238 cases involving primary school classes. Lisbon is the most affected region.
Former Socialist minister Adalberto Campos Fernandes, appointed coordinator of the Strategic Pact for Health by the President of the Republic, António José Seguro, will be the keynote speaker at the first edition of the Future Forums, an initiative organized by iLab, the study office of the Iniciativa Liberal party. The event takes place this Tuesday, September 29, at the Pavilhão de Portugal in Lisbon. Adalberto Campos Fernandes will speak on 'The Challenges of the Health System' at 3:15 PM, following the opening speech by Paulo Trezentos, vice-president of the Iniciativa Liberal and coordinator of iLab. This marks another intervention by a Seguro appointee at party events, following university professor Luís Aguiar-Conraria's participation in the liberals' parliamentary sessions in Porto. Also in this first edition of the Future Forums, dedicated to Health, former executive board member of the National Health Service, Francisco Goiana da Silva, and Miguel Sampaio Petiteiro, a doctor at Hospital de São João, will debate 'Quality care on time? How?' at 6:00 PM, moderated by MP Joana Cordeiro. After a presentation by Pedro Pita Barros, professor of Health Economics at Nova SBE, on 'Sustainability, productivity and AI in health systems' at 6:30 PM, there will be a debate moderated by parliamentary leader Mário Amorim Lopes, featuring Uphill Health founder Duarte Sequeira and Rui Guimarães, head of the Barcelos Local Health Unit and former chairman of the board of the Hospital de Gaia-Espinho. The president of the Iniciativa Liberal, Mariana Leitão, will close the first edition of the iLab Future Forums, which will be repeated in other cities to discuss topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Housing, and State, Tax, and Social Security reforms.
The proposal to recognise the 'public interest' of the Abrunheira landfill, which serves the municipalities of Mafra, Cascais, Sintra, and Oeiras, was rejected by the Mafra Municipal Assembly. The four mayors must now find short-term solutions for solid waste management, as the current site is at 91% capacity and expected to close by 2027. While the project had received positive opinions from regional development and agricultural commissions, local opposition in Mafra has halted the expansion, which aimed to increase capacity by one million tonnes by 2030.
