The Minister of the Interior mentioned this Thursday during the discussion of the state budget in parliament an increase in funding for fire brigades next year.
The proposal for the state budget for 2024, which the government presented to the Assembly of the Republic on Tuesday, states that voluntary fire brigades will receive funding of about 32.6 million euros, which is 900 thousand euros more than this year.
This Thursday, the League of Portuguese Firefighters (LBP) considered the funding insufficient, stressing that the increase is below inflation and that “it will worsen the situation of underfunding of humanitarian associations.”
Asked whether this funding could be increased, the Home Secretary said he was aware that “there is contact between the LBP and parliamentary groups” and hoped that this “dialogue could lead to better solutions.”
José Luis Carneiro said that the state budget is now before the Assembly of the Republic and we must “wait for the dialogue that the LBP is conducting with the parliamentary groups.”
“There is a specific proposal from the LBP, which is aimed at the detriment of the inflation rate forecast for 2024, and if the inflation rate for 2023 is taken into account, I will leave this for consideration by parliamentary groups and, after announcement, parliamentary groups in the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
The minister recalled that he “is obliged to look at the budget as a whole, have a balance and take into account what is associated with a lack of resources.” José Luis Carneiro also reported that between 2015 and 2023, “funding for humanitarian firefighter associations has increased by more than 30%.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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