Third reading of the draft law amending the Family Benefits Act and other laws (547 SE)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary session
Date: 2025-03-19 16:14
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 10
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 14m
AI Summaries: 10/10 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first item on the agenda concerns the third reading of the draft law amending the Family Benefits Act and other laws, initiated by the Government of the Republic. Discussions between factions focused on harmonizing the support model and ensuring a fairer distribution for children whose parent has become a parent. The desire is to create a separate benefit for each child and to ensure the benefit is manageable and sustainable, regardless of the parent's previous income or the number of children.
The draft provides for an initial benefit of €272, indexed to increases in the cost of living, and is projected to reach approximately €345 per month by 2026. This mechanism is intended to reduce the risk of poverty for single parents and large families and to increase overall social justice and solidarity in the country. In the debate, emphasis was placed on the need to avoid cuts at the expense of the vulnerable and to promote equality to improve the well-being of all families.
Decisions Made 1
Bill 547 has been passed into law. It was supported by 84 members of the Riigikogu, opposed by 0, and with 0 abstentions.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Riina Solman (YnKIrQfzj2E) a member of the Isamaa faction; right-wing. She represented her faction and emphasized the draft's fairness, the need for a uniform and indexable support model, and the strengthening of families with many children and families with single parents.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
According to Arvo Alleri, today, as the first item on the agenda, we will proceed with the third reading of Bill No. 547 to amend the Family Benefits Act and other laws, and negotiations between the factions will be opened, starting with the Social Democratic Party faction's speech on behalf of Tanel Kiik.
Tanel Kiik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tanel Kiik supports a bill that ensures more equal support for children who have lost their breadwinner, criticizing the system that was in force previously, where the support depended on the parent's income and the number of children in the family.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Riina Solman represents the Isamaa faction and asks to take the floor.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman said that the bill would create a uniform monthly allowance for children who have lost a parent, with a base amount of 272 euros, indexed to increases in the cost of living (the 2026 forecast is about 345 euros), reducing the risk of poverty and helping both children in single-parent families and those in large families, but she noted that the coalition took several steps backward in 2023, and the current cuts and tax increases increase uncertainty and may reduce birth rates, so further steps must be taken to promote family well-being.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller requests three more minutes.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman says that the government is sending signals, but has increased value-added tax and introduced a car tax and reduced family benefits, which mainly affects large families and rural areas, and calls on political parties and the government to take positive steps for the benefit of children and families.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks Mihkel Leesi to speak on behalf of the Reform Party faction.
Mihkel Lees
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
To increase families' sense of security in an uncertain world, a breadwinner-loss benefit for a child will be introduced, which provides an individual allowance for each child and increases the amount from 272 euros to 345 euros per month, making the system fairer and benefiting families with many children the most.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The deputy speaker Arvo Aller declared the negotiations concluded, put the Government-initiated draft law amending the Family Benefits Act and other laws, No. 547, to the final vote, and stressed that its adoption requires a majority of the Riigikogu's members, urging everyone to take a stance and vote.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Riigikogu passed Bill 547 into law: 84 votes in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions.