Tenerife PSOE Accuses IASS of €6M Unpaid Bills, Demands Resignation

The Tenerife branch of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) is accusing the Institute of Social and Sociosanitary Care (IASS) of failing to pay its bills to suppliers since April. According to the PSOE, this debt has reached nearly six million euros across 2,500 invoices, mainly affecting small and medium-sized businesses.

Marián Franquet, a socialist councilor and former head of Social Action in the Island Council, along with the island's general secretary, Tamara Raya, are calling for the resignation of Águeda Fumero from the People's Party, who currently holds Franquet's former position. They are also demanding an "urgent" plan to address what they describe as an "unprecedented" crisis in care services on the island.

Franquet warned that the IASS's failure to pay suppliers is due to "terrible administrative management" and is having serious consequences. She explained that the affected companies provide essential goods like bread, milk, eggs, and workshop materials to centers for the elderly and people with disabilities.

Franquet criticized the island government, a coalition between the Canarian Coalition and the People's Party, for "administratively paralyzing" the IASS and harming local businesses. She highlighted the plight of small businesses, suggesting some could be forced to close due to the delayed payments.

Tamara Raya, the PSOE's general secretary for the island, stated that after almost two and a half years, the social services sector is collapsing and deceiving citizens. She accused Águeda Fumero of providing false data, particularly regarding the creation of new care places. Raya argued that the only solution is for Fumero to resign, echoing concerns about misleading information also coming from the Canary Islands Government regarding care data.

Raya emphasized that the Island Council has not signed agreements related to care services and social infrastructure. This inaction has left completed centers, like the one in La Victoria, closed and projects in other locations stalled, despite announcements.

Raya linked the care crisis to a shortage of public housing, which disproportionately affects vulnerable groups. She highlighted cases of domestic violence victims forced to live with their abusers due to a lack of available housing and criticized the lack of support for people with disabilities and NGOs.

To address the situation, the PSOE of Tenerife will propose an urgent plan to inject resources into the system, strengthen social care, and ensure access to decent housing. This plan would involve the Canarian Housing Institute (Icavi), local councils, and non-profit organizations.

Marián Franquet argued that the main problem in social action on Tenerife is the lack of action itself. She claimed the council has prioritized events and sponsorships over social policies, which are now "absolutely unknown to citizens."

Franquet criticized the council for making announcements without delivering results, stating that the councilor is more focused on attending events than implementing effective social policies.

Franquet also challenged the official data presented by the island government. She argued that the reported number of new places for the elderly includes telecare devices and limited home services, not actual beds or comprehensive personal care. She pointed out that while the waiting list for residential care has increased significantly, only a small number of new residential places have been created.

The PSOE of Tenerife concludes that the current administration has turned social action into a series of broken promises, with rising waiting lists, closed centers, and worsening homelessness. They believe Tenerife needs effective management, not just publicity, and families need real solutions, not excuses.

In response, the Social Action department, led by Águeda Fumero (PP), denies the claim of six million euros in unpaid invoices, calling it "false." They find it "striking" coming from a group that they say failed to maintain basic standards, such as clean bed linen and laboratory supplies, in its own centers during its previous term.

The department emphasizes that the IASS's responsibilities extend beyond just care services, noting its budget of 335 million euros and 1,307 employees. They state that the current government had to implement a "shock plan" upon taking office in 2023 because approximately 90,000 euros had not been invested in its own social care centers, leading to "undignified care" for users. Since then, the IASS claims to have invested four million euros in these centers to ensure adequate care.

Social Action defends its record, stating that it has added 518 places to the island's care network, with a budget of over 130 million euros, compared to "zero places" in the previous term. They also highlight an additional 500 places from the Home Permanence Service.

The department argues that the PSOE's management data shows no real growth in places during its term, but rather a "reconversion" of existing places. They also claim that the types of places now being criticized were the same ones being implemented under the previous administration.

The island government states that six major social infrastructure projects have been launched in the last two years, either directly by the IASS or by local councils with funding from the Island Council. These projects will create 469 residential and day center places in the next three years. They are also preparing to tender for three more social care centers, which will add another 379 places.

Finally, the People's Party believes that if the PSOE truly cares about the people and vulnerable groups of Tenerife, it should apologize for its "disastrous management" during its previous term and start engaging with the non-profit organizations that it allegedly ignored for four years.