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At today’s sitting of the Riigikogu, the Bill which provides for ensuring a nursery place close to home free of charge for all children everywhere in Estonia passed the first reading.

According to the explanatory memorandum of the Bill, the Bill is intended to reduce the economic burden on parents that is connected with the costs of education, care and maintenance of preschool children. The Bill will eliminate the obligation of parents to pay the nursery fee. The Bill also aims to show that the state values the family and considers demographic issues important.

Enn Meri took the floor on behalf of the initiators of the Bill and introduced the content and aim of the Bill. He pointed out that all children had to have the possibility to go to a nursery close to home free of charge.

Member of the Cultural Affairs Committee Heljo Pikhof gave an overview of the discussions that had been held at the committee sitting and presented the positions of the representatives of ministries. Pikhof pointed out that the Committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading.

During the debate, Jürgen Ligi from the Reform Party Faction, Heljo Pikhof from the Social Democratic Party Faction, Krista Aru from the Free Party Faction and Aadu Must  from the Centre Party Faction took the floor.

The lead committee moved to reject the Bill on Amendments to the Preschool Child Care Institutions Act (731 SE), initiated by the Estonian Free Party Faction, at the first reading. Three members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion, 50 were against, and there were two abstentions. The motion was not supported and the Bill passed the first reading.

A Bill was dropped from the proceedings of the Riigikogu:

The Bill on Amendments to the Citizenship Act (709 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction, provided for allowing multiple citizenship for Estonian citizens who have acquired Estonian citizenship by birth.

The Bill also provided for the possibility of resumption of Estonian citizenship for persons who had acquired Estonian citizenship before 26 February 1992 but who had been forced to renounce it or were deemed to have ceased to be an Estonian citizen.

The Bill would also have amended the current Act by adding new bases for deprivation of citizenship. The entry into force of judgments of conviction for treason and terrorist offences as provided for in the Penal Code would have been introduced into the Act as new bases for deprivation of citizenship.

During the debate, Aadu Must from the Centre Party Faction, Henn Põlluaas from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Faction, Jüri Adams from the Free Party Faction, Valdo Randpere from the Reform Party Faction and Jevgeni Ossinovski from the Social Democratic Party Faction took the floor.

The lead committee moved to reject the Bill at the first reading. 40 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 38 were against. Thus, the Bill was dropped from the legislative proceedings.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian) http://stenogrammid.riigikogu.ee/en/201812131000.

Video recordings of the sittings of the Riigikogu can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/riigikogu (NB! The recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Riigikogu Press Service
Marie Kukk
+372 631 6456; +372 5821 3309
[email protected]
Questions: [email protected]

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