The president of the Portuguese Firefighters League (LBP), Jaime Marta Soares, told the newspaper that the government "has not yet provided a cent."

“Once again the Government promises, decrees and then does nothing to fulfil what it has agreed to,” said Marta Soares.

The president of LBP points out that the money would benefit about 5,000 firefighters with children under six years and would represent an expense for the state of about 2.5 million Euros per year.

“We have made a number of complaints, notably with the Minister of Home Affairs, who says he wants to move forward, wants to pay, but then does nothing to pay. Soon we will have another meeting of a working group, but the truth is that the school year has begun and the volunteer firefighters have not received anything they are entitled to,” he said.

Jaime Marta Soares also told the public to expect the new Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Patricia Gaspar, "to have political power so that subsidies for volunteer firefighters will start to be paid."

This decree gives new social benefits and incentives to volunteer firefighters, such as support for daycare and kindergarten expenses and retirement bonuses.

Article 6 states that “volunteer firefighters from the command and active staff are entitled to reimbursement of 50 percent of the expenses incurred in nurseries, kindergartens and establishments of pre-school education, the public network, the social and solidarity sector network with a cooperation agreement with the state and the private network for first-degree descendants”.

At the time, the Government justified the revision of the social benefits attributed to firefighters due to “the spirit of volunteerism, sacrifice, generosity and selflessness that volunteer firefighters demonstrate”, as well as their willingness to perform a public mission.

The measures enshrined in the diploma recognize and value voluntary associations and fire brigades as true pillars of the protection and relief system in Portugal, and highlight “especially the reinforcement of incentives for volunteering, supporting, promoting and dignifying the volunteer and social function of the firefighter”.

With regard to payments, Jornal de Notícias is advancing that the three dozen Portuguese professional firefighters and volunteers who travelled to Mozambique last March to help cyclone Idai victims have not yet been paid.

According to the newspaper, about 35 thousand Euros in debt will be involved, corresponding to the participation of operators in rescue operations and support to the population of the Beira region affected by Idai.

The National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) clarified to the newspaper that “they are not concerned with remuneration, but as allowances due for travel expenses abroad”.

The ANEPC justified the delay by the fact that the employees did not have a “permanent public employment bond”, stressing that it was “making every effort to authorize payment”.