Central Government Confirms Full Funding Commitment to La Palma Recovery Efforts
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 7 October (EUROPA PRESS) – The Spanish government announced this week that it has fully disbursed all necessary funds as per the agreement with the councils and Cabildo of La Palma to repair infrastructure damaged by the volcanic eruption. Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, stated, “We have fulfilled 100% of our commitments.”
The government is also set to introduce new grants aimed at financing the recovery of infrastructure, facilities, and equipment affected by the eruption, pending an assessment of the documentation from local administrations.
In the municipality of El Paso, updated assessments have revealed additional costs related to two projects under the 2022 agreement: the Federico Simón Wrestling Arena and the San Nicolás Football Field, increasing recovery costs by €1,519,846.16. Meanwhile, the Tazacorte council reported six new infrastructure impacts not covered in the 2022 agreements, with estimated recovery costs of €1,998,359.26.
For Los Llanos de Aridane, the failure to respond to a request for detailed information on projects has prevented their inclusion in the current funding support. However, they may still apply once these issues are resolved.
The Cabildo of La Palma identified 22 new affected infrastructures, which, based on a preliminary eligibility analysis, could involve a maximum total recoverable cost of €60,611,251.73. The Cabildo has also requested an extension for project justification deadlines, previously set for 30 September 2026, and this extension has now been granted.
The central government emphasised that it has transferred 100% of the funds owed to La Palma, amounting to over €36 million for the 2022 projects. Alongside the recently approved credit generation of €68.5 million by the Council of Ministers on 22 September, the government plans to convene a Joint Commission this month in La Palma.
