"Very difficult meeting"

Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir says it is not possible to answer whether the government will buy out the apartments of the residents of Grindavík at this time. She said she anticipates a special law on the situation in Grindavík.

The residents of Grindavík met with government officials in a big meeting in Laugardalshöll in Reykjavik the other day to have a chance to ask authorities about what comes next, while facing a situation where nothing is clear in their immediate future .

The Icelandic government has decided to buy 80 more apartments for the residents of Grindavík to use on top of the 70 they had already secured with the renting association Bríet .

Need for long-term solutions

“It was a difficult meeting and I understand that because people here on Sunday experienced a real-life setback. When lava comes up within the defense walls – that of course changes the situation. We are just seeing a very dark scenario actually happen,” Jakobsdóttir tells us after the residents’ meeting in Laugadalshöll.

She says that the government has worked hard to ensure short-term resources for the residents of Grindavík.

The events of the last few days change the situation. Long-term solutions must now be found. She says that this is a top priority for the government.

Special legislation

Jakobsdóttir says that most projects have been put aside to find a solution for the residents of Grindavík as soon as possible.

“I can see that there will be a special law on the situation in Grindavík, I think that’s the most likely way now. But it’s important of course to make sure that they frame the challenges we’re facing very well. This work is just ongoing,” she says.

The Icelandic MP and a resident of Grindavík, Vilhjálmur Árnason, has proposed that the government buy out the apartments of the residents in Grindavík.

Many attendees at the meeting asked the Council to answer whether the government was in the process of implementing such a solution, but a lack of satisfactory answers was found by many attendees.

“We’re simply not there yet. We’re calculating these costs, of course, because we need to do so to be able to make decisions. We need to look at the costs of other resources as well. That is, other possible ways, so we’re actually just analyzing those scenarios, assessing the costs, and also looking at it from a legislative and regulatory point of view.”

Economic contribution of Grindvíkings immense

Jakobsdóttir says that the government is working as fast as possible but does not have a time frame for when a long-term solution will be available to the residents of Grindavík.

Páll Valur Björnsson, from Grindavík, was very much applauded when he spoke in the hall during the meeting. He said that the cost of paying the residents of Grindavík out is a small amount of money compared to the money the town has given back to the country.

When asked whether funding is an obstacle to possible solutions, in light of Björnson’s comments, Jakobsdóttir says:

“Of course, this is a big economic shock for any nation. But as I also said, for me it’s also just about our duty as a society. Of course, everyone recognises and knows – the economic contribution of the people of Grindavík and their social contribution is enormous. But of course, it’s also just that we have a duty towards the people of Grindavík, regardless of that economic contribution.”