Draft law amending the Social Welfare Act and the Value Added Tax Act (mental health services) – first reading (500 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-10-17 01:03
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 21
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 26m
AI Summaries: 21/21 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The draft concerns the act amending the Social Welfare Act and the Value Added Tax Act (mental health services) for the first reading. The aim is to increase the accessibility of mental health services and to create a state budget resource for local governments to provide these services, with a focus on developing low-threshold and easily accessible services close to where people live. Funding will be distributed based on population, with a minimum and maximum support amount per local government of €6,000–€96,000. The purpose of the funding is to be used purposefully and to collect feedback on how the money is spent and the availability of services, in order to better develop mental health services on a national scale and to understand which services are available in different local governments. Based on data from 2023, experience has already been gained with project-based funding, and the desire is to transition to a large-scale support fund model, which will help to harmonize the accessibility of services and reduce bureaucracy in local applications.
Decisions Made 2
First reading completed. The first reading of draft 500 was completed, and the proceedings will continue with inter-factional discussions and the separate consideration of amendments.
Set the deadline for submitting amendment proposals to October 30th at 5:15 PM.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker is Riina Solman (Isamaa) – her faction is right-wing and represents the Isamaa faction, whose participation in spoken debates is noticeably greater than that of other factions' representatives.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Dear colleagues, today, as the seventh item on the agenda, we will address the first reading of Bill 500, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning amendments to the Social Welfare Act and the Value-Added Tax Act (mental health services). The rapporteur is the Minister of Social Protection, Signe Riisalo.
Sotsiaalkaitseminister Signe Riisalo
AI Summary
The draft bill presented to the Riigikogu stipulates that state budget funds will be allocated to local governments to provide mental health services. This funding aims to establish low-threshold, easily accessible services within the municipalities (including psychological counseling, family therapy and counseling, mental health crisis counseling, psychosocial crisis assistance, pastoral care counseling, group therapy for parents, peer support counseling, and grief counseling). The allocation will be based on the number of residents, with a minimum grant of 6,000 euros and a maximum of 96,000 euros. The amounts allocated previously were 0.4 million (2021), 1.1 million (2022), and 2.2 million (2023), and 1.5 million is planned for the upcoming year. The overall goal is reporting and data collection to facilitate better development of mental health services across the country.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller noted that you also have questions and asked Eduard Odinets to respond.
Eduard Odinets
AI Summary
Eduard Odinets thanked the minister for this initiative and noted that project-based support in Kohtla-Järve has helped hundreds of people, but the new fund must have a mechanism that ensures high-quality and professional mental health services, despite the shortage of specialists.
Sotsiaalkaitseminister Signe Riisalo
AI Summary
Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo said that, at the request of local governments, efforts are being made to minimally regulate the use of funds and the provision of services. A list of services that could be offered has also been compiled, requiring all service providers to have the appropriate training.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech begins with a request directed to Riina Solman.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman praises the initiative, emphasizing that the shortage and severe lack of specialists may hinder the provision of mental health care. She asks about parallel projects and notes that some local governments neither apply for funding nor know how to compile the necessary reports to navigate the bureaucracy, access the money, and avoid penalties.
Sotsiaalkaitseminister Signe Riisalo
AI Summary
Riisalo said that the workload of specialists will be reduced by offering low-threshold psychosocial assistance and involving professionally trained people (not only psychologists), and funds will be distributed directly to the support fund and family doctor centers for quick use by local governments.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Arvo Aller calls upon Helmen Kütt.
Helmen Kütt
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helmen Kütt expresses gratitude that the support distributed throughout Estonia does not depend on the speed or proficiency of the application process. She notes the differences in regional concerns based on the availability of staff and requests a brief overview detailing what services were offered for these funds and how the expenditure is planned.
Sotsiaalkaitseminister Signe Riisalo
AI Summary
According to Riisalo, the behavior of local municipalities cannot be precisely predicted, but those who have applied for funding and provided services will likely act similarly—freedom will increase and bureaucracy will decrease. In 2023, 11,015 people received services, the number of meetings with clients was 24,786 (averaging 2 to 2.3 times per client), and the average cost per person was 131.60 euros and per meeting was 58.50 euros. The exact total quantity of services has not been specified yet, but those services that have been provided so far will likely be offered in the future as well.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
There are no further questions. Thank you. Next, Irja Lutsar, a member of the Social Affairs Committee, will provide an overview of the discussion that took place in the lead committee.
Irja Lutsar
Profiling Eesti 200 fraktsioonAI Summary
In her presentation, Irja Lutsar detailed that during the discussion held on October 8, a large number of members of the Social Affairs Committee supported the draft legislation that establishes permanent funding for local governments (KOV) to improve the provision of mental health services. They debated issues concerning co-payment/self-participation, facilities, and regional disparities. Furthermore, the Ministry of Social Affairs' (SOM) action plan for youth mental health and the principles governing funding distribution were introduced. Finally, it was decided to add the bill to the plenary session's agenda for October 16 and conclude its first reading.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller offered his thanks, announced that there were no questions, opened the floor for discussions with the factions, and then introduced Aleksandr Tšaplõgin on behalf of the Estonian Centre Party faction.
Aleksandr Tšaplõgin
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He noted that the government is increasingly burdening local municipalities with obligations without sufficient funding, and cities and rural municipalities must start addressing residents' mental health, which is expensive and for which there are few specialists. Since finding money and a psychologist is difficult for Kanepi municipality, he proposed rejecting the first reading of this law.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Riina Solman represents the Isamaa faction, and she is next to take the floor.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman emphasized that mental health is just as important as physical health, and the Isamaa faction supported the draft bill, which gives local governments the opportunity to offer community-based mental health assistance and reduce stigma, especially in rural areas.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller requests two additional minutes of time.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
I have been quite critical regarding the cuts affecting families and mothers, but I recognize the type of mental health support offered in the budget as a crucial step toward improving access to services, reducing isolation and stigma, and encouraging people to seek help—a measure which the Isamaa faction also supports.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The negotiations have concluded, and the leading committee wishes to finalize the first reading of Bill 500. However, the faction of the Estonian Centre Party has submitted a proposal to reject the first reading of Bill 500, which concerns the Act amending the Social Welfare Act and the Value-Added Tax Act (mental health service). We are therefore asked to take a position and vote.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The proposal failed to gain support (6 in favour, 56 against). The first reading has been concluded, and the deadline for submitting amendments is October 30th of this year at 5:15 PM.