The Ministry of Welfare is working on a legislative draft to introduce a duty for municipalities to provide a minimum of social services, as confirmed by minister Evika Siliņa during a discussion on the future of the deinstitutionalisation process.
The politician reminded that the European Union (EU) has provided “grain funding” to put together a deinstitutionalisation infrastructure and adopt social services needed by residents. However, after the implementation of this project not all municipalities have planned funding to help provide completely all services. This is why this new legislative draft will help make a list of services municipalities will have to provide.
Ķekava County Council Chairman Juris Žilko mentioned during this discussion that the deinstitutionalisation project has changed society’s attitude towards people with functional or mental disorders. The state administration is beginning to understand how important individual approach is and that first it is necessary to learn of the person’s needs and form social services accordingly.
Municipalities in Pierīga will need funding of EUR 4 million in order to provide social services next year.
Municipalities in Pierīga believe this funding could be provided from the financial equalisation fund, stresses Žilko.
Saeima deputy and former chairperson of Carnikava County Council Daiga Mieriņa explained that the municipal equalisation fund should provide not only the costs of several wealthy municipalities, but also funding from the state budget. However, this proposal has yet to receive support from politicians.
After visiting various municipalities, the opposition politician concluded that some of them are unable to provide basic needs. On top of that, some social services are very fractured. There are examples when municipalities have the necessary infrastructure, but no clients to service. Low wages are also the reason why trained people have started leaving for “greener pastures”.
Riga City Council Social Affairs Committee Chairman Viesturs Kleinbergs stressed that provision of social services to families that have children with functional or mental disorders helps keep jobs and keep families together. He stressed that provision of social services is beneficial to the municipality, because parents can continue going to work and not end up among support recipients.
Kleinbergs claimed that
Riga is trying to do all it can to make sure children do not end up in social care centres and their children are able to continue going to work normally.
Sigulda County Council Chairperson Līga Sausiņa, looking at the deinstitutionalisation process, stressed that even before the administrative territorial reform the municipality acted wisely, planning certain social services in various residential areas to help invest resources in a rational manner and provide necessary services.
As previously reported, according to estimates from Riga planning region regional municipalities participating in the project will require approximately EUR 4 million in 2024 in order to maintain services provided by the project – provide people suffering from mental disorders, children suffering from functional disorders, and their legal representatives.
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