The PSC Government Repeats ERC's Excuses About Irregularities in DGAIA

The Directorate General for Child and Adolescent Care (DGAIA) is in the eye of the storm. The audit office uncovered a series of irregularities and chaos in management between 2016 and 2020. The most serious issue was the granting of aid to supervised and former supervised youths who did not meet the requirements, to benefit third-party companies.

The recent dismissal of the DGAIA leadership has raised suspicions about this organization. The shadow of corruption and lack of transparency has led several parties to demand explanations from the Govern in parliamentary session. At the request of the CUP, the Department of Social Rights has provided new documentation.

The Ministry has retrieved the reports that DGAIA had already presented at the request of the audit office to justify the alleged irregularities. The department led by Mònica Martínez admits there was an increase in spending but relies on data protection to avoid justifying it. In line with the previous ERC government, the current Govern justifies the chaos in DGAIA by the 155, the pandemic, and the massive arrival of unaccompanied minors.

PSC and ERC Follow the Same Line

The PSC doesn't distance itself even a millimeter from what ERC and DGAIA have been maintaining all this time. The services were "overwhelmed" by the sudden increase in demand due to the uncontrolled arrival of unaccompanied foreign minors. To this is added the impact of the 155, which paralyzed the administration and forced the extension of budgets, making credit availability difficult. 

The justification also includes the pandemic, which required the establishment and implementation of new measures. All these arguments are the same ones put forward by the government of Pere Aragonès. It is the narrative that ERC has been maintaining, and which has been harshly judged by the rest of the formations and especially by Junts.

The PSC assumes this narrative shortly after having agreed with ERC and Comuns to prevent the minister from appearing to give explanations. It seems there is a convergence of interests between ERC and PSC to bury the matter. Esquerra wants to avoid another scandal on its list, and the socialists want to get rid of a problem.

The Explanations Aren't Convincing

The DGAIA scandal has united parties like Junts, Vox, and the CUP in criticizing the government and demanding explanations. The ministry's response has been to offer part of the reports that had already been provided to the audit office. But it doesn't offer any convincing explanation that differs from what has been said so far.

As a novelty, the minister has committed to an audit and has acknowledged that there are "things that must change." But neither her intervention in the last plenary session nor her response to the parliamentary request seem to help dispel the suspicions. Something that invites the opposition to continue denouncing the alleged corruption scheme behind the organization.

The case doesn't directly involve the PSC, which did not govern between 2016 and 2020, but it does involve its preferred government partner. The need to cover up for ERC indirectly compromises the socialists, who have the hot potato in their hands.