The mayor of Famalicão, Mário Passos, challenged the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security this Thursday to ensure that her ministry could provide more support for the projects of the Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS).
‘These institutions are on the ground to serve those who need them most, they know the territory and are exemplary in terms of resource management, but they need more support,’ said the mayor, addressing Maria do Rosário Ramalho during the government official's visit this Thursday to Engenho - Associação de Desenvolvimento Local do Vale do Este, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Giving as an example the nine investment projects underway in the municipality of Famalicão promoted by IPSS, with a total value of around 14 million euros, Mário Passos pointed out that ‘although they are supported by Pares and the PRR, they require a large investment on the part of the institutions, which are stifled by such huge responsibilities’.
The mayor proposed that ‘within the scope of the PRR, through reprogramming, more funds could be allocated to mitigate this effort on the part of the IPSS’, or to look at functional costs, ‘where it is clear that there is a need to update the agreements and the amount of funding from Social Security in the different areas’.
The mayor also pointed out the need to increase the number of places available in the different social centres. ‘What we have is clearly insufficient, whether in residential homes for the elderly, residential homes for people with disabilities, activity and training centres or crèches,’ showing the municipality's openness to contributing with solutions, ‘for example, with new notices so that we can apply with existing buildings, develop work and hand it over to IPSSs that are in the communities to provide this service, because we have institutions like Engenho, which are exemplary in this work and truly innovative,’ he added.
The exemplary social project of Engenho - Associação de Desenvolvimento Local do Vale do Este, was praised by the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security. Maria do Rosário Ramalho emphasised that this commemorative date has great significance. ‘It should be noted that 30 years is a long time, a long time in favour of the population and from what I have learnt, this is a unique and very valuable institution for Vila Nova de Famalicão, for its framework, for the reasons that led to its foundation, for the social project and support services, from the crèche to the senior population.’
In his speech, Engenho's president, Manuel Augusto Araújo, thanked everyone who has contributed to the organisation's growth over the last 30 years. ‘If today we are a benchmark and exemplary in the work we do, it's because of the concept of commitment, the strengthening of neighbourly ties, the contribution of mayors, associations, companies and the people of these East Valley parishes, who have always helped us and to whom we repay with daily work for the common good.’