Inquiry regarding the ferry connection to the Estonian islands (no. 789)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 6th sitting, plenary session
Date: 2025-09-22 22:04
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 32
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 23m
AI Summaries: 32/32 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The interpellation No. 789, submitted on May 21, 2025, by Riigikogu members Lauri Laats, Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, Vadim Belobrovtsev, Aleksei Jevgrafov, Andrei Korobeinik, Peeter Ernits, Vladimir Arhipov, and Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, addressed the situation of ferry connections to the Estonian islands, focusing on ticket prices, the profits of TS Laevad OÜ, and the procurement of the fifth ferry. The rapporteur for the interpellation, Lauri Laats, emphasized that high ticket prices and ferry queues hinder the economic development of the islands, highlighting the large profits of TS Laevad OÜ (nearly 20% of turnover).
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis responded to the interpellation but immediately delineated his area of responsibility, stating that questions 1–4 and 9 (which concerned ticket prices and regional policy impact) fall under the competence of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture. Answering the questions falling under the competence of the Ministry of Climate, the Minister explained that the previous ferry procurement failed because the most favorable bid exceeded the budget by 1,899,000 euros, and accepting it would have been risky (the contract would have been concluded with a micro-enterprise that relied on subcontractors located outside the EU/WTO). The new procurement procedure will be carried out using the "Competitive Dialogue" method, and four shipyards qualified, including the Estonian company Baltic Workboats together with BLRT. The expected completion time for the fifth ferry has been postponed until the summer of 2028. The Minister confirmed that the new vessel will be electric-powered, with backup diesel generators running on biodiesel. In the subsequent negotiations, Lauri Laats sharply criticized the Minister for refusing to comment on the pricing policy, promising to submit new interpellations to the Regional Minister to determine the economic impact of free ferry connections on the islands.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The Riigikogu debates Interpellation No. 789, submitted on May 21, 2025, concerning the ferry connection with the Estonian islands. The submitters are Lauri Laats, Aleksandr Tšaplõgin, Vadim Belobrovtsev, Aleksei Jevgrafov, Andrei Korobeinik, Peeter Ernits, Vladimir Arhipov, and Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, and the rapporteur is Riigikogu member Lauri Laats.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller introduced Inquiry No. 789, submitted by members of the Riigikogu, as the sixth item on the agenda. The inquiry concerns the ferry connection to the Estonian islands, and he asked Riigikogu member Lauri Laats to serve as the presenter.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats sharply criticizes the high and opaque ticket prices for the ferry connection between Saaremaa and the mainland, highlighting the significant profits of the state-owned company TS Laevad OÜ. He suggests that the ticket revenue is unreasonably large and detrimental to the local economy. Furthermore, he demands clarification on whether the cancellation of the procurement for an additional ferry—due to the bid exceeding the initial price—was economically justified, especially considering that this postponed relief on the route by at least a year, thereby exacerbating the queue problems during the summer.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats discussed the ferry service between Saaremaa, Muhumaa, and the mainland, raising issues concerning the transparency of ticket prices and the economic impact of local enterprises. He also inquired about the procurement, cost, and schedule for an additional ferry, and whether the planned savings would ultimately pay off.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Arvo Aller thanked [the Minister] and requested the Minister of Infrastructure to respond to the interpellation.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller offered his thanks and then gave the floor to Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis, requesting that he respond to the interpellation that had been submitted.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis, speaking before the Riigikogu, announced that the public procurement for the fifth ferry exceeded the budget by 1.899 million euros, that the new procurement procedure will take place through negotiations between four shipyards (Baltic Workboats together with BLRT, Damen Hardinxveld, Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A., and Crist S.A.), that the initial technical solutions must be submitted by October 6, 2025, and that the final technical specification and price offers will be determined after the negotiations. The expected completion time for the fifth ferry is summer 2028, and the quality of service must be maintained while budget savings are achieved during the negotiation process.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis responded to an inquiry concerning the construction of the fifth ferry, explaining that the previous public procurement failed due to budget overruns, as the most favorable bid exceeded state funds by nearly 1.9 million euros. He then introduced a new, negotiation-based procurement procedure called "Competitive Dialogue," involving four qualified shipyards (including Estonian companies). This process is expected to result in the ferry being completed by the summer of 2028, while simultaneously guaranteeing the quality of the service.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller invited questions and asked Vladimir Arhipov to speak.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arhipov asks whether the fifth ferry uses environmentally friendly fuel (hydrogen, electricity, hybrid, or other) and whether any such plan exists for the future development of the ferry fleet.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov inquired of the minister whether there were plans to transition to environmentally friendly fuels, such as hydrogen, electricity, or hybrid solutions, for the construction of the fifth ferry and the management of the entire future ferry fleet.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis emphasized the major step forward, confirming that this new fifth ferry is the first vessel equipped with electric propulsion, operating purely on electricity, while still retaining biodiesel-powered diesel generators as a backup option.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis confirmed that the fifth ferry truly operates with electric propulsion, is electrically powered, and has diesel generators fueled by biodiesel for backup, making it the first electric-drive ferry of its kind.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller calls upon Lauri Laats.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats asked whether the regional minister would answer the remaining questions, specifically regarding the electricity consumption of the new ferry, the operation of the batteries, the emergency backup for the diesel generators, the capacities of Muhu Island, and how much additional capacity would remain for developing entrepreneurship after the charging system is established.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats begins by inquiring whether the regional minister has arrived to answer the scheduled questions and provide responses to earlier inquiries. He then poses technical questions concerning the electricity consumption of the new battery-powered ferry, the capacities secured for the charging system on Muhu Island, and how much surplus electrical capacity will remain available for developing local businesses once the system is fully constructed.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis confirms that while the necessary electrical capacity is available, the shift to electric ferries—a transition marking a major change in the history of Estonian ferry shipping—requires building charging infrastructure on both shores. This will lay the groundwork for providing services to other battery-powered vessels in the future.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
This is a very significant change in the history of Estonian ferry transport, establishing charging infrastructure on both shores and allowing for the servicing of battery-powered vessels in the future. Although we cannot specify the exact electrical capacity, Minister Terras will address this separately.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller invites Peeter Ernits to speak.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits described the extremely heavy traffic witnessed yesterday on the Tõllu ferry heading to Saaremaa, where the cars were packed so tightly that people struggled to get in and out of their vehicles, and he is now asking the minister whether this constituted an exceptional situation.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits described his recent experience aboard the Saaremaa ferry Tõll, where vehicles were jammed together closer than ever before, making it difficult for passengers to get in and out of their cars, and he is asking the minister whether this represents a new policy or an exceptional situation.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis emphasizes that the ferry queues between Saaremaa and Hiiumaa are a persistent problem during peak times and major events. This issue will not disappear until new vessels are added to the fleet, as the fluctuation in passenger numbers is too great for the existing capacity.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis stated that during major events, queues form between Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, and the problem will not disappear until more ferries are added, because the flow of passengers is very high during peak hours, and travel at that time is expected.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
At the beginning of the address, Reili Rand is invited to speak.
Reili Rand
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Reili Rand began by issuing a call to visit the islands outside the summer season as well. She recalled the political context surrounding the previous price hike and stressed that ferries represent a critical piece of infrastructure for the development of the islands. Finally, she inquired about the Minister’s stance on the proposal put forth by entrepreneurs in Hiiumaa and Saaremaa to treat the ferry connection as an extension of the mainland road network, and what impact this would have on regional development.
Reili Rand
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Reili Rand emphasizes that ferries are the most crucial infrastructure for the islands and asks for consideration of treating the ferry connection based on the principle of a highway extension, so that regional development would improve, noting simultaneously that the last price hike was implemented by Minister of Economic Affairs Taavi Aas.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis stressed the critical importance of infrastructure vital to the islands, particularly ferry and air traffic. He affirmed that while there is no immediate solution, every effort is being made to ensure the fifth ferry arrives as quickly as possible. Furthermore, this solution must be future-oriented (an electric solution) and maintain a high standard of service, a level they are committed to upholding.
Taristuminister Kuldar Leis
AI Summary
Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis emphasized that the islands' infrastructure is crucial for guaranteeing both ferry and air traffic. He noted that while there are no immediate quick fixes, they are striving to acquire a fifth ferry as soon as possible, and they are also developing electric and forward-looking solutions to maintain the current level of service.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller gives thanks, announces that there are no questions, opens the discussions, and names Lauri Laats as the representative of the interpellators.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats has expressed his dismay regarding the conduct of Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis, who failed to answer several crucial questions in the Centre Party faction’s interpellation. Leis cited a lack of jurisdiction rather than offering his own viewpoint or consulting with his colleagues. The address focused specifically on the topic of ferry tickets for island travel. The speaker stressed that free access to the islands would be regionally and economically vital, as it would encourage investment and help island residents manage their costs of living. Laats also pledged to submit new inquiries to thoroughly analyze the impact of this measure.
Lauri Laats
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Laats is criticizing the Minister of Infrastructure for failing to respond to the query submitted by the Centre Party faction, and for leaving his own views on island living conditions and ferry ticket prices unstated. He emphasizes the need for the minister to take a clear stand and for funds to be invested directly into the islands, instead of simply boosting the profits of TS Laevad OÜ.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Arvo Aller concluded the debate when the Minister did not request any further input, and announced that the sixth item on the agenda had been completed.