Second reading of the draft law amending the Social Welfare Act (pensioner support) (508 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 4th session, plenary session.
Date: 2024-11-14 04:47
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 40
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 34m
AI Summaries: 40/40 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Today’s agenda item concerned the second reading of the draft social welfare act amending the Act initiated by the Republic's Government 508. The committee’s work took place on two occasions, November 4th and November 11th, and focused particularly on whether the benefit for a single pensioner should be discontinued in connection with round-the-clock care services and community living services. According to the draft, the aforementioned benefit will be discontinued for retirees who receive round-the-clock care services. The opinions of local governments and pensioner associations were divergent: they emphasized that pensioners living in care homes often have a low pension and rising incidental fees, and therefore the benefit should be continued for them. Government representatives explained that the benefit for a single pensioner is not intended to cover everyday expenses and that local governments must take into account each individual’s individual needs; the care reform is accompanied by additional funding from the state to local governments. The committee discussed the topic thoroughly, and critical debate was raised regarding the planned procedural documents and financial impacts. The decisions included bringing the draft to the plenary agenda and completing the second reading when a consensus decision is reached, with a plan to hold the final vote on November 20th. On November 11th, the procedural documents were approved and authority was granted to the committee chair to sign the procedural documents for the third reading. The day’s discussions also touched on the broader cost implications of the social care reform, including a plan to allocate 65 million euros to municipalities and a 1.35 million euro cut, which some members argued was unfair to the elderly. In summary, deep differences of opinion emerged regarding the continuation or discontinuation of this benefit rate, but the procedural steps progressed naturally.
Decisions Made 4
On November 11th, the draft bill's procedural documents for the second reading were approved, and authority was granted to the committee chair to sign the procedural documents for the third reading.
On November 13th, it was decided to add the draft to the plenary agenda on November 13th and to conclude the second reading by consensus; if the second reading is concluded, a proposal will be made to add the draft to the plenary agenda and to carry out the final vote on November 20th.
Draft 508 concluded its second reading; the session ended according to the stipulated end time.
The Riigikogu voted to terminate the second reading; the result: 8 in favor, 43 against, no abstentions (the proposal did not find support).
Most Active Speaker
Most active representative: Eero Merilind (member of the social affairs committee). According to political position: other (as a precise party affiliation has not been indicated in this overview).
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Today's 13th agenda item concerns the second reading of the Government-initiated draft law to amend the Social Welfare Act, bill 508, and the presenter is Eero Merilind, a member of the Riigikogu's Social Committee.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Due to the draft amendment 508 to the Social Welfare Act, the Social Committee, over two meetings, discussed the termination of support for a pensioner living alone who uses around-the-clock care services, and the views of the involved parties on whether to continue the support measure; ministry representatives stressed the need for an individual assessment of needs and that the support does not cover daily expenses. The committee decided to place the draft on the plenary agenda for November 13, unanimously approve the second-reading procedural documents, and authorize the committee chair to sign the third-reading procedural documents and to conduct the final vote on November 20. On November 11, the procedural documents were approved and authorization was given for the third reading.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanked the presenter, said that there were questions, and invited Lauri Laats to speak.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats highlighted in the Riigikogu that the total amount of pensions received by about 6,700 pensioners in October is about 1.34 million euros, and that nursing-home costs take up a large portion of the pensions, and the 200-euro one-off support given in October was their only income, which is now set to be taken away.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The amendment discussed in the Social Committee concerns budget cuts: due to the care reform, the state will allocate 65 million euros to local municipalities next year, but the amendment would cut 1.35 million euros, which may seem unfair, but the state's contribution to the general care service must be taken into account.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman emphasizes that the 1.3 million taken from residents of private care homes is unethical, and this small amount of money must not remain in state ownership, but must belong to those residents themselves.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and turns to Riina Solman with a request.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
We discussed this at length and stressed that assistance from local governments must be equally accessible to pensioners, regardless of whether the pensioner lives at home or in a nursing home, when there is a need to acquire assistive devices such as glasses and other items, because local governments leave the pensioner with 20–25% of their pension as pocket money.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asked Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti to come here.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker accuses the coalition of moral deficiency and incompetent economic policy, and claims that they punish pensioners who live alone, have no one by their side, and do not move to a nursing home not out of choice but due to a lack of health and assistance.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
This raises several questions, including within the Social Committee, and emphasizes that the local government must treat all people equally, regardless of whether the pensioner lives at home or in a nursing home.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats states that the state should treat people equally regardless of whether they live in a nursing home or at home, criticizes the taxation of pensions and cuts aimed at pensioners, and asks who this state really is for if it does not respect its own people.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
At the start of the speech, one addresses Lauri Laatsa and simply says "please."
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Eero Merilind told the committee that in connection with the care reform the state will allocate additional funds to local governments, and these funds will be used to help people.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speech is only a plea to Urmas Reinsalu.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu accuses Eero of planning, by means of a coalition decision, to terminate the funding of the Estonian Pensioners' Associations Union and thus silence the voice of the organization that defends their interests, and emphasizes that the problem is not money, but attitude.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
They agree that the topic is important, but it was not discussed in the commission, and they promise to discuss how to ensure a full and meaningful life for pensioners and how the first, second, and third pillars contribute to this.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman invites Priit Sibul onto the stage.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul criticizes the government by likening it to an alcoholic son and asks for 65 million for the care reform, stressing that several municipalities—including Tartu led by the Reform Party and Kanepi and Räpina in the coalition—disputed it and said that with their resources it would be impossible to cope.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The commission said that the rise in nursing home accommodation fees is one of the reasons, and because of this, better services can be offered and better staff can be attracted.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman criticizes the fact that previous promises regarding the second pension pillar and the tax exemption for the average pension remained unfulfilled, and when those in power came to office, these promises were forgotten, while inflation deepened the impact of the social tax and created problems in financing pensions.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks Riina Solman to come on stage.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Eero Merilind said that the topic was not discussed in the Social Committee, but he wants to discuss it in depth and is interested in the future of pensioners’ livelihoods, especially those who have opted out of the second pillar and remain only with the first pillar.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Urmas Reinsalu.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Reinsalu addresses Eero directly and asks whether the 1.3 million euro saving planned for next year in elderly care homes and the termination of funding for the Union of Pensioners' Associations are related to each other, and whether the coalition has discussed this in light of the elderly's interests.
Eero Merilind
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
There is no data on this matter, and it was not discussed in the Social Committee.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks the presenter, states that there are no questions, and, before the opening of negotiations, the procedure for conducting the meeting is discussed, inviting Jüri Jaanson to speak.
Jüri Jaanson
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Jüri Jaanson submitted a procedural question, noting that personal questions raised during the second reading and asking for personal opinions do not conform to the Riigikogu's Rules of Procedure and Internal Working Order Act, and that the chair should draw attention to this.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar stated that the chair of the meeting does not intervene when questions relate to a specific draft bill, but if they drift away from the topic, the chair intervenes — and that is the Riigikogu's usual practice.
Urmas Reinsalu
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
I think that the framing of Jüri Jaanson's question is very justified, and the concerns of hundreds of thousands of elderly people, as well as the voice of their elderly advocacy organization, must not be ignored and must reach this hall, because the government, in response to protests, has decided to cut their funding to zero, and this cannot be silenced by technical tricks.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker thanked Urmas Reinsalu, noted that the remark had gone beyond the scope of a procedural question, announced that the negotiations would continue, and asked that Lauri Laats come to the Riigikogu's podium here first.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats criticized the bill that would take 1.34 million euros from pensioners (including an extra 6,700 euros for a pensioner living alone in a nursing home) and tax pensions, arguing that this would deepen elderly poverty and breach the Reform Party's promise, and the Centre Party faction submitted a motion to adjourn.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker of the Riigikogu invited Riina Solman to the lectern.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman called the proposal a cynical cut, by which 1.3 million a year is taken from the most vulnerable elderly, sending them a signal that they are not cared for, and stressing that the elderly deserve respect from the state, not additional income cuts, while reminding that the Reform Party has never cut pensions, and asking for extra time.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker, Lauri Hussar, requests an additional three minutes.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman claims that the state and the coalition do not think about pensioners, because a large portion of pensions goes back to the state as taxes; the introduction of a 2% broad-based security tax from the income tax starting from the first euro also extends to pensions; the support for pensioners living alone is being removed in nursing homes; care home costs have risen, and the extra money created by the second pillar does not work; therefore she calls for stopping the second reading of Bill 508 and terminating the process of amending the Pensioner Benefit Act, so that pensioners' dignity is preserved.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, informed that Priit Sibul wished to speak from the floor, and since his name had not previously been mentioned in the speeches, he asked him to deliver an on-site speech.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul said that he does not support the bill in its current form, because the state must not justify rising costs at the expense of pensioners, and there is no way to break free from the Reform Party's rigid grip in the country.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, announced the termination of negotiations and that at the second reading of Draft Bill 508 no amendments had been submitted, but two motions from the Isamaa and Centre Party factions had been received, which wish to halt the second reading, and he called the Riigikogu to vote.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The proposal received eight votes in favor, 43 were against, and there were no abstentions; therefore it did not gain support, the second reading of Bill 508 has been completed and today's session has ended – good night to everyone!