The Government of Spain has transferred 1.1 billion euros for the recovery and reconstruction of La Palma after the volcanic eruption of September 2021. “The commitment of the Government of Spain and the response of the different administrations - which have worked with loyalty - have been essential to give a coordinated response to La Palma,” stressed the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Angel Víctor Torres, who has chaired, together with the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the XIV Joint Commission for the reconstruction, recovery and support of the island of La Palma.

This new call, held at Casa Salazar, has served to monitor and account for the commitments made and resources provided by the different levels of the Administration, but Torres also highlighted the immediate actions planned by the Government of Spain for La Palma and announced that the Government decides to approve during the first half of November a Royal Decree Law, with the approval of the State Attorney, in which the mechanisms for specific issues for the island of La Palma are established, such as the 60% bonus of the IRPF and have 100 million euros. The minister also stressed the need to invest much of these 100 million in the primary sector, with whose representatives he met hours before today’s Joint Committee.

Torres explained that the RDL is the fastest way to dispose of these resources, since it would enter into force since it was approved in the Council of Ministers, “although it has to be validated later in the Congress of Deputies.” In this regard, and in response to the journalists, the minister said that he hopes that “the decree law will also have the support of the People’s Party, which co-governs the islands, and that it will cast its positive vote to validate these important measures.”

In the Joint Commission, the minister, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Territorial Policy, Arcadi Spain, and the government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, made a breakdown of the aid deployed for the social shield, with items for goods, housing, the ERTE or the different specific employment plans for La Palma that, “with the last 12 million approved last July, already add 135 million euros in four years”.

Housing. In total, there are 365 million euros, among which are the 240 million of the Insurance Compensation Consortium, 36 million euros of Interior and another 11 million for belongings. Throughout 2024, 100 million euros were paid from the Government of Spain and 50 million from the Government of the Canary Islands, amounts that have reached 100% of the habitual homes lost.

Agriculture. Around 50 million euros have been mobilized by the Government of Spain for the primary sector. Noteworthy are the 28.8 million for repair of damage on farms; 21 million euros in ERTES and self-employed cessation; 1.2 million in local product campaigns; or the 2 million euros in guarantees.

Reconstruction of local infrastructures. On October 7, the Council of Ministers approved a budget of one million euros for the reconstruction of local infrastructures in Tazacorte, and with that amount the share that it had to contribute to the Government of Spain (50%) of the agreement for the reconstruction of local infrastructures affected by the eruption was completed. In total, 53 million euros have already been transferred by the Government of Spain, which are being used in works by Tazacorte, Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso. The minister also recalled the milestone of the Carretera de La Costa, which was built by the Government of Spain (MITMA) for 38 M€ and which was inaugurated in May 2023.

In total, and counting on items such as the 40 million euros of the Ministry of Transition and Demographic Challenge; more than 30 million tourism and industry; 2.6 million Science or the direct subsidies of Social Rights, Equality, Culture or Economy reach 1.1 billion euros.