The Riigikogu heard replies to five interpellations

NordenBladet —

Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta replied to the interpellation concerning renting out prison places (No. 645), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Rain Epler, Siim Pohlak, Rene Kokk, Evelin Poolamets, Arvo Aller, Kert Kingo, Varro Vooglaid, Anti Poolamets, Mart Helme, Helle-Moonika Helme and Martin Helme.

The interpellators wished to know more about the proposal submitted to the Government to start renting out vacant prison places in Estonia to other countries.

Pakosta confirmed that no negotiations had been opened with any country, including the United Kingdom. “On 26 September, the Cabinet of the Government of the Republic held a meeting at which the Ministry of Justice was authorised to hold preliminary consultations with various countries with a view to clarifying the more detailed circumstances of the rental option, the more detailed potential cost-effectiveness and the more detailed potential impact on Estonia’s economy and security on a country-by-country basis,” Pakosta said. She added that those pre-consultations did not in any way imply that the project would come to fruition, but they confirmed that they were currently exploring the possibilities of launching the project and what it would entail in more concrete terms.

“Our position is that not a single prisoner from a foreign country, if we start accepting prisoners from foreign countries at all, will be released to Estonia,” confirmed Pakosta.

Pakosta explained that, at that point, Estonia had held preliminary consultations with the Netherlands and Sweden. “The pre-consultations have been such that there has been a clarification of details at the level of officials of what could be considered in the first place. In the case of the Netherlands, we are also gaining experience of the fact that the Netherlands itself has rented out prison places and of what that has brought about and how they have organized that,” the minister said.

Pakosta justified the project in question: “I would like to work on finding a use for vacant prison places. This is an inevitability that must be addressed. We have a significant burden on the taxpayer to maintain empty prison buildings,” Pakosta noted.

“The aim is to find out the various details and circumstances, whether this project would be feasible in such a way that the safety of the Estonian people would be guaranteed, that safety would even increase and that it would also be economically viable. Not to mention that all other requirements will have to be met as well. Will this be worthwhile,” Pakosta said.

Minister of Social Protection Signe Riisalo replied to the interpellation concerning care reform (No. 649), Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi replied to the interpellation concerning tax rises (No. 647) and Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets replied to the interpellations concerning the confiscation of the monument to Estonian soldier (No. 642) and the grant of international protection to  men of mobilisation age who are Ukrainian nationals (No. 643).

Rain Epler took the floor during the open microphone.

The sitting ended at 9.36 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu heard replies to five interpellations

Source: Parliament of Estonia