In information sent to Lusa news agency via email, a source from the ministry overseen by Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice revealed today that the service has reopened in person in the former civil registry wing of the Odemira Palace of Justice, which has undergone renovation work.

"Painting work, flooring and baseboards were installed, and the electrical and network infrastructure was renovated," in addition to "a new layout for the renovated space, to ensure adequate conditions for serving users," the source added, based on data from the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN).

The Odemira Registry Office, which houses the civil, automobile, property, and commercial registries, had been closed to the public since April of this year due to inadequate facilities.

The situation drew criticism from the city council and business owners, as well as a recommendation approved unanimously by the municipal assembly and a question to the government presented by Pedro do Carmo, a member of the Socialist Party (PS) elected for Beja.

According to the same source from the Ministry of Justice, given the "unfeasibility" of the alternative spaces proposed by the city, the IRN (National Institute of Reform) ended up promoting "a contract aimed at restoring safety and sanitation conditions in the former civil registry wing."

The work included "improving the facilities and renewing the electrical and network infrastructure," he stated.

The president of the IRN, Jorge Rodrigues da Ponte, told Lusa that the institute "did everything in its power to restore registry services safely and with dignity for citizens and employees."

The objective, the official continued, was to provide "the population of Odemira with essential services for legal life and the economic development of the region."

According to the Ministry of Justice, a project is underway, under the supervision of the Institute of Financial Management and Justice Equipment (IGFEJ), for "a major renovation of the exterior of the Palace of Justice, which includes the overhaul of the rainwater system," with a completion time of "30 days."

After the drainage project is completed, the IRN will launch, in 2026, "a contract for the renovation and functional reorganization of all areas of the Palace of Justice [of Odemira] assigned to registry services."

The project represents an investment of 440 thousand euros and will have a completion time of 180 days.

Contacted today by Lusa, the mayor of Odemira, Hélder Guerreiro (PS), described the reopening of the registry office as "good news" for this municipality on the Alentejo coast.

"We know that work has been carried out on one of the registry offices, which allows for an improvement in the quality of the work of the employees there, which is essential for us," he said.

And the works planned by the IRN "are fundamental to the quality of the space and to preventing the degradation of the Odemira Palace of Justice," he added, while lamenting that they will only begin in 2026: "We will still have another winter for that building, which will continue to deteriorate."

Hélder Guerreiro said that the city council is available "to reach an agreement with the Government to carry out the necessary structural work" on the Palace of Justice.

In a statement sent today, the PSD deputy elected for Beja, Gonçalo Valente, expressed his satisfaction with the reopening of this service in Odemira.

“Another inherited problem that we managed to resolve,” he stressed, highlighting that the intervention, "which was necessary and urgent ended up taking just a few months to be implemented.”