Lisbon, June 8, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal's minister of the economy, Castro Almeida, announced on Monday that the deadline for reviewing applications for support for the reconstruction of homes damaged by the winter storms in Leiria and Marinha Grande – which was due to end on 30 June – would be extended.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the campaign “Not everything you see is a safe bet”, promoted by the Directorate-General for Consumers (DGC) to combat illegal online gambling, Castro Almeida clarified that “the 30 June deadline was an indicative one; it was a target that the local authorities themselves and the Regional Development Coordination Commissions (CCDR) had set for themselves”.
“It was an indicative date. If it has to go beyond July, it means it wasn’t possible to do it before then,” he stated.
According to the minister, the 30 June deadline [for completing applications for support] “was a consensus reached at a meeting with various other members of the Government, the Regional Development Coordination Committees and the local municipal communities”.
The minister of the economy was responding to a report in the Jornal de Notícias newspaper, indicating that the local councils of Marinha Grande and Leiria, in central Portugal, will not be able to complete, by 30 June, the assessment of more than 14,000 applications (3,365 in Marinha Grande and 10,808 in Leiria) for grants of up to €10,000 to rebuild homes damaged by the storms at the start of the year.
According to the newspaper, the deadline was set by the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) for the Centre region, in conjunction with the Inter-municipal Community of the Leiria region, but there are applications that have not even been reviewed yet, which could mean that thousands of those affected will not receive support to rebuild their homes by the end of the month.
“We reached the conclusion very long ago that in three or four districts this target may be difficult to meet, but in the overwhelming majority of districts the target remains in place and I believe it will be achieved,” the minister stated, noting that the Leiria district alone accounts for almost a third of the applications.
“It is understandable that it may take longer in Leiria, but that exception is not the rule,” he added.
Castro Almeida stated that “more than 90% of cases will be resolved by 30 June”, with the remaining applications to be “resolved later”.
On 6 June, the government’s platform indicated that only 10% of the applications in Marinha Grande had been reviewed by the local authority, out of a total of 3,365.
CT/AYLS // AYLS
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