The relevant contact details are public, calls get answered, and meetings are available, the ministries say — though some roles remain undisclosed due to security and operational reasons.

Estonia has 11 ministries, chiefly located in Tallinn, including several in the so-called "Superministry" building on Suur-Ameerika.

The concerns arise at a time of scrutiny being placed on bureaucracy at a time when state budget cuts need to be made, it is argued.

Secretary General Tarmo Miilits, who heads up the Ministry of the Interior, noted that ministry employees' phone numbers are listed on their website.

However, due to the specific nature of the ministry's work – authorities including the Police and Border Guard Board and the Internal Security Service fall under the ministry's remit – some positions, their occupants' names, and other details are not publicly available online.

Miilits said: "In such cases, the contact details of the head of department, including phone numbers, such as for the Border Guard and Migration Department, or the general department contact, including phone numbers, such as for the Internal Security Department — are provided."

Employees are required to answer calls to their work numbers or to return them if unavailable, Miilits added.

Though the website lists landline numbers, calls to these get forwarded to employees' mobile phones.

Kristi Klaas, a deputy secretary general at the Ministry of Climate, holding the green reform portfolio, also said that employees are accessible via her ministry's website.

"The contact details of ministry employees on the website are regularly updated," she said.

Minister of Regional and Agricultural Affairs Piret Hartman (SDE) also addressed concerns about officials being unreachable, stating: "If an official is away for an extended period, they must ensure that their phone calls are forwarded to a substitute."

Appointing someone to deputize for an official is mandatory, Hartman added.

Hartman also noted that her ministry's website provides officials' email addresses and phone numbers, as well as information on the ministry's location, opening hours, and general contacts.

Visits must be arranged in advance, she noted.

The interior ministry can also allow pre-arranged meetings to take place during regular working hours, Miilits noted.

The climate ministry has now designated public reception hours.

Klaas explained that meetings were previously arranged via phone or email but are now scheduled at set times within this time frame.

The Ministry of Culture has also confirmed its accessibility. Secretary General Kristiina Alliksaar stated that their website lists employees' phone numbers and email addresses, allowing citizens to arrange meetings where needed.

Alliksaar added: "Meetings with the minister can be arranged through the minister's advisor and secretary general via the minister-secretary general's executive assistant."

Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise raised concerns earlier this month after receiving complaints from the public that ministry officials had proved difficult to reach by phone or in person.

Two of the ministries, the Ministry of Climate and the Ministry of Social Affairs, have two ministers attached to them, meaning there are a total of 13 government ministers in Estonia, plus the prime minister and government office.

Necessarily, some ministries have higher levels of security in place even for pre-arranged visitors, including the defense and foreign ministries.

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