The Riigikogu passed the Act reducing the burden of family caregivers
At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu passed an Act, and a Bill passed the first reading.
The Act on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act and to Other Acts (special welfare services and change of residential address) (421 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed. It will continue the implementation of care reform and the reduction of the burden of family caregivers.
The Act creates a day and week care service for people with intellectual disabilities who need extensive support but have the possibility to live with their close ones in their own home part of the time. The target group of the service are people with moderate, severe or profound disabilities, as well as people with other intellectual disabilities, both specified and unspecified, who have high care needs. Up to now, this target group has been using a daily living support service, which is however designed for people with low support needs and is more about guiding them towards independence.
A person will be able to use the day and week care service for up to 23 days per month. For people who need support for less than 10 days a month, a suitable solution will be found among the special care services provided by the local government or among other special care services.
With regard to the registration of place of residence, a derogation is introduced for those who are staying in a social welfare institution providing a 24-hour social service and whose registered place of residence is a special care home that has been closed in the course of the reorganisation of special care institutions, or the municipality of its location, or who do not have a valid residential address in the population register following the closure of a special care home. The municipality will be able to register their place of residence to the accuracy of municipality or city district.
73 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the Act.
A Bill passed the first reading
The Bill on Amendments to the Social Welfare Act and the Health Services Organisation Act (independent nursing in the provision of the 24-hour special care service) (496 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. It will make the organisation of the independent nursing offered in the 24-hour special care service more flexible. In the future it will be possible to adapt the nursing service provided and to update the content and volume of the service where necessary.
The organisation and funding of the service will also be transferred to the Estonian Health Insurance Fund and the independent nursing offered in the provision of the 24-hour special care service will be included in the list of health services of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. At present, nursing in the 24-hour special care service is funded through the Social Insurance Board.
A draft Resolution was dropped from the proceedings
The Draft Resolution of the Riigikogu “Formation of the Study Committee to Solve the Demographic Crisis” (324 OE), submitted by the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, was dropped from the proceedings. It was intended to form a study committee of representatives of all parliamentary groups with the task of shaping the population policy of Estonia in order to guarantee the preservation of the Estonian nation, language and culture through the ages.
During the debate, Riina Solman (Isamaa), Mart Helme (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) and Henn Põlluaas (Estonian Conservative People’s Party) took the floor.
47 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion of the Constitutional Committee to reject the draft Resolution and 12 were against, and thus the draft Resolution was dropped from the legislative proceedings.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
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