Inquiry regarding the departure of state institutions from rural areas (no 653)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2024-11-04 17:45
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 54
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 25m
AI Summaries: 54/54 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The agenda item is the question posed by members of the Riigikogu, Lauri Laatsi and associates, regarding the departure of state institutions located in rural areas, and the related discussion on regional policy. The question posed contains five specific questions aimed at obtaining an honest answer from the minister regarding the state's presence and the availability of services in the counties, including which representations or service points of state institutions are being prepared for closure, and whether the location of state institutions outside of county centers has been considered by the coalition. Throughout the agenda, the suspension of the state house program and the analysis of the impacts on regional development and the role of local governments will also be reflected, as well as the plans of various ministries to maintain or change representation in the counties. The ultimate goal is a discussion on the state’s presence and the availability of services in rural areas, and what steps should be taken at the level of decision-making areas to ensure that regional inequality does not deepen. The discussion reflected in the initial question and the ministers' responses highlights how much responsibility and mutual cooperation are necessary to strengthen the state’s presence in the counties, and how to balance costs and service availability in relation to the reforms of education and healthcare, and the development of state houses.
Decisions Made 1
No concrete decisions were made regarding this agenda item; the discussion focused on the questions raised in the inquiry and the ministers’ responses, the development of ideas, and the need for further discussions.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Lauri Laats, a member of the Riigikogu (Center Party faction). His involvement in posing questions and critically approving within the coalition, along with further observation of regional policy, points to his role as a primary questioner; as a position, he can be marked as "other" (from the foreign policy position).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
This agenda item concerns the inquiry submitted on 8 October regarding the departure of state authorities from rural areas, which was submitted by Riigikogu members Lauri Laatsi, Andrei Korobeiniku, Vladimir Arhipovi, Vadim Belobrovtsevi, Aleksei Jevgrafovi, Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti and Aleksandr Tšaplõgini, and the presenter is Lauri Laatsi.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats emphasizes that the outflow of people from rural areas stems from cuts in state services and the closing of offices, presents to the minister five concrete questions about the closures and locations of state institutions, and stresses that the State Houses program must continue, not be halted.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanks Lauri Laats and requests the floor to respond to the interpellation addressed to the Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, Piret Hartman.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
According to Regional Development Minister Piret Hartman, the state's physical presence and affordable services must be accessible in all counties, and although services are moving increasingly to e-platforms, she does not plan to close representations of state agencies in county centers, and cooperation with local communities must ensure the preservation of services outside Tallinn.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech expresses gratitude to the esteemed minister and states that he also has questions, and the first to ask them is his colleague Andrei Korobeinik.
Andrei Korobeinik
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They thank you for the thorough overview and ask why the Lüganuse Unemployment Insurance Fund office is being closed in January for cost-saving purposes, when the number of staff will not decrease and the state has offered free rental space, and they request a more precise explanation of what exactly this saving consists of.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Piret Hartman emphasized that there is a lack of precise data on layoffs and on budget savings, and it would be reasonable to direct this issue to the relevant ministry or administrative authority.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar appeals to Vladimir Arhipov with a request.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov emphasizes that regional policy is, to some extent, also education policy, and state closures of schools and posts complicate local life, citing, for example, the closure of the vocational school housed in Hiiumaa's Suuremõisa Manor and the question of the necessity of the construction plan for the state house.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Regional policy affects all sectors, including education, and Hartman emphasizes the importance of cooperation between the local government, the school, and the Ministry of Education, while the future of the Vana-Vigala School is on the table and the final decisions are in the hands of the Ministry of Education, but the dialogue held at the ministry and the gathering of information continue, so that the decisions take regional policy into account.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairperson asks Arvo Aller to come and perform.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller criticizes that although ministers talk about regional policy, in practice schools and service points in Ida-Virumaa are being closed, and the Jõhvi courthouse is also at risk, and he asks what the government is doing to ensure that this courthouse remains.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Hartman said that although ministries have to make cuts and decisions must be made consciously, for the sake of regional policy, jobs should be kept on site, local governments should be involved, and the future of the Jõhvi courthouse should be discussed, because its closure is not reasonable.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar addresses Lauri Laatsi and asks him to come.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats accuses the government of failing to fulfill its promises, citing concrete examples such as the suspension of the state buildings project, the relocation of the Jõhvi courthouse and the Kiviõli Unemployment Insurance Fund, and the intention to sell manor schools, including the Hiiumaa school, and demands direct answers from the minister to the questions, not vague talk.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Regional and Agricultural Minister Piret Hartman said that although the state housing program is on hold due to the budget's complexity, attention will be directed to regional policy, large investments in rural areas will be made (up to 2.5 billion), fundamental changes will be carried out in business support and in the financing of local authorities, and it is hoped that other ministries will join the discussion and that the changes will become clearly visible.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Rene Kokk.
AI Summary
Rene Kokk expresses concern about the Ministry of Education's plan to close schools, stresses the regional impact on Rapla County and Märjamaa Parish, and invites the Minister of Education to come to the site to find a solution that would keep the school open and functioning.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
The Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, Piret Hartman, confirms that, if possible, she will attend in person, emphasizes her background from a rural school and the impact of the school's closure on the community, and promises that the regional perspective will remain at the heart of the solution.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks Vadim Belobrovtsev to come and take the floor.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker asks the minister whether there is a short-term or long-term plan to revitalize life in rural areas and to establish a presence of government agencies or their representations there, and which institutions could be located there.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Piret Hartman states that the plan is to move state institutions and workplaces to rural areas, to sign regional development cooperation agreements, and to ensure that 40% of entrepreneurship measures reach the counties in order to create jobs and develop entrepreneurship, but the solutions are complex and require multifaceted cooperation in the infrastructure, electricity, and housing sectors.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Anti Poolametsa.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets stressed that housing support for young families in regional areas is beneficial and should be continued, warned that if there are no people, there will be no schools either and everything will be left empty, criticized the bad news from the Jõhvi courthouse, and stressed the need to increase the state's presence in Ida-Virumaa and that institutions must not be moved out, and posed a concrete question about how to move jobs from Tallinn to the counties via the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Minister's message is that housing acquisition measures will remain in force, that bank leaders must be involved and cooperation deepened; a Just Transition Fund for Ida-Viru County has been well under way, which will create over a thousand jobs; and for agriculture, fishing and rural life there are measures totaling over two billion euros, including 55 different measures to develop rural entrepreneurship, jobs and public services; also investments are being directed toward developing the infrastructure of local governments and improving access to public transport, and the public transport reform is being implemented vigorously and swiftly, although the situation is complex and solutions require open discussion.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar invites Tõnis Lukas onto the stage.
Tõnis Lukas
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
They claim that the current government is working against Estonia's regional balance by granting the position of regional minister, while other ministries are acting against it, and the education issues agreement, which allocates 60% of school costs to salaries and the remainder to operating costs, could give municipalities the right to start shutting down small schools, even though the local situation on the ground isn't like that.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Regional Affairs and Agriculture Minister Piret Hartman said that decisions of different ministries must take into account the impact on regional policy, and that local governments must have resources and capacity; the education reform must go ahead, and the closure of small schools is not a solution. At the same time, cooperation with cities and municipalities should continue, and compromises should be sought.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman emphasized cross-sector cooperation in the social sector and asked whether the government is prepared to remove—or plans to remove—the 200-euro one-off payment paid to pensioners living in care homes, and whether such cuts aimed at vulnerable people in rural areas will be deemed a red line.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar invites Riina Solman onto the stage.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Regional and Agricultural Minister Piret Hartman said that cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs focuses on reviewing the care reform and the hospital network reform, taking into account municipalities' concerns and additional resources, and a written answer will be provided to the specific question later.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanked the minister, announced that there were no questions, opened the talks, and invited the representative of the inquirers, Lauri Laatsi, to speak, and asked whether it would be possible to add more during the extension.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats wants to see how it will start running.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
He says that everything is clear, for now we won't put anything in, and we'll start looking.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats claims that regional policy does not work, citing examples such as the relocation of Töötukassa services from Kiviõli to Jõhvi, the plan to close Hiiumaa Suuremõisa manor school, and tax increases that are making life in the countryside increasingly difficult.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman asks whether extra time would be needed.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats says that he will stop doing that right away.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech is very short and simply says that everything is clear.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
This speech calls on all of us and on people who are struggling in the countryside to find strength, and it ends with thanks.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair gives thanks and, next, invites colleague Tõnis Lukas to the podium.
Tõnis Lukas
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Stressing the importance of regional balance, Tõnis Lukas notes that state decisions and the activities of state-owned companies are concentrating in Tallinn and threaten the vitality of counties and the development of small businesses, which is evidenced, for example, by the shift of jobs in schools and public libraries to Tallinn and in the question of the future of Lüganuse School.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar requests three minutes of extra time.
Tõnis Lukas
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
They point out that although the agreement includes some laudable steps, such as a career model, the questions of workload and pay scales, as well as regional balance, remain unresolved, and this could increase pressure to close schools if school employers, municipalities, and the union have signed a 60/40 split between the payroll fund and operating costs.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked and invited their colleague Riina Solman to the podium.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman emphasizes that although government ministers speak about regional development, tax increases and cuts to services in rural areas exacerbate regional inequality, and she calls on the government to follow principles that take into account the impact on all regions and provide young families with better living conditions.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanked and invited his Riigikogu colleague Arvo Aller to speak at the rostrum, who asked for three extra minutes.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller argues that regional policy is Tallinn-centered and that the presence of regions is insufficient, emphasizes preserving education and vocational education in rural areas, increasing the state's presence at the borders and in Ida-Viru County, and bringing state institutions there, protecting jobs in the oil shale sector, and criticizes the impact of the Just Transition Fund, the expansion of nature reserves, and bureaucracy.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
The vice-chairman thanked and invited Mart Maastik to speak.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik emphasizes that the regional dimension must remain a priority, and the closure of Hiiumaa Vocational School's horticulture program, the sale of the Suuremõisa manor complex, the loss of jobs for specialist doctors at Saaremaa Hospital, and the transport of services to Tallinn or Tartu are short-sighted, because we must preserve local jobs and healthcare services and use digital solutions so that life in the countryside does not become worse.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Toomas Kivimägi asks for three more minutes.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik invites us to think more broadly about the development of healthcare, because although patients are willing to come to Saaremaa as well and time is important, the establishment of a single capacity center must not destroy the life of rural areas.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
There were no more requests to speak from the members of the Riigikogu, and in conclusion Minister Piret Hartman took the floor.
Regionaal- ja põllumajandusminister Piret Hartman
AI Summary
Regional and Agricultural Minister Piret Hartman stressed that regional policy is a cross-cutting theme, cited the examples of Hiiumaa and Vana-Vigala to illustrate the importance of transferring responsibilities to local governments and the continued operation of schools, discussed the Ida-Viru transition fund and the future redistribution of environmental charges, urging people to turn to PRIA and PTA with specific concerns, and stated that the core of regional policy lies in high-quality public services, the capacity of local governments, and a supportive attitude.
Aseesimees Toomas Kivimägi
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi thanked the esteemed minister and announced that the consideration of this agenda item has been completed.