The Riigikogu suspended the second reading of the Bill on Amendments to § 5 of the State Family Benefits Act (11 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Party Faction.

Deputy Chairman of the Social Affairs Committee Margus Tsahkna gave an overview of the discussion that had been held in the Committee.

The Social Democratic Party Faction made the motion for suspension. The representative of the initiator of the Bill Heljo Pikhof justified the suspension of the Bill with the plans of the new government coalition: “After less than nine months, the child benefit paid for the first and second child of a family will increase from 19 euro to 45 euro per month, that is, nearly 2.5 times. It is a very big rise which will offer additional support to tens of thousands of families. Indeed, the great majority of our children – circa 250 000 – are raised in one and two child families. The benefit for families in the greatest difficulty or, in other words, the needs-based family benefit will increase to 45 euro per month. For families who have difficulties coping, the child allowance will be increased to 90 euro per month.”

Sven Sester, Aivar Riisalu and Andrus Ansip also took the floor during the debate.

The Riigikogu passed with 57 votes in favour the Resolution of the Riigikogu “Appointment of a Member of the Council for Allocation of Grants from Gambling Tax Revenues” (624 OE), submitted by the Finance Committee.

The Resolution provides for the exclusion of Marelle Erlenheim from the membership of the Council and the appointment of Deputy Secretary General Rait Kuuse as the new representative of the Ministry of Social Affairs in the Council, on the proposal of the Minister of Social Affairs. Under the Gambling Tax Act, the Riigikogu forms the Council for Allocation of Grants from Gambling Tax Revenues which includes six members of the Riigikogu, and one representative from the Ministry of Education and Research, one from the Ministry of Culture and one from the Ministry of Social Affairs.

Photos of the sitting 

The verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian) 

The Riigikogu Press Service

 

 

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