Thank you very much, everybody, for having me here. It is a real pleasure to be with you on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I look forward to being able to answer your questions today on the main estimates for Indigenous Services Canada. You heard that we have a whole host of professionals here with me to answer those questions.
With $21 billion in its 2024-25 main estimates, Indigenous Services Canada supports indigenous partners in delivering the important services that exist in every indigenous community. Some of the department's top priorities in terms of the work that we do—and, I would say, priorities of the community as well—are things like supporting indigenous children and youth and families, increasing the educational outcomes for indigenous students, improving access to health services and funding infrastructure in first nations communities.
Over the last several years, Canada has made significant investments in the first nations child and family services program to help better support first nations and first nations child and family services agencies in providing culturally based family supports that will address and bring down the overrepresentation of indigenous children in care by keeping children with their families.
We're also continuing our work with partners in devising a fully reformed program so that this program never returns to the abysmal state that it was in over a number of decades. Reducing gaps in education for indigenous students compared to other students in Canada is also a priority. With over $3.4 billion dedicated for education in these estimates, first nations, Inuit and Métis students will be able to access better educational opportunities.
Of course, funding of over $6.2 billion from these estimates will support better health outcomes for indigenous people, including providing better access to high-quality health services for indigenous communities, reducing systemic racism within our health systems across the country, and closing socio-economic gaps between indigenous peoples and others in Canada.
This investment will also significantly advance the work with Inuit partners to eliminate tuberculosis across Inuit Nunangat by 2030. It will also support the continued implementation of Jordan's principle so that first nations children can quickly access the services and supports that they need when they need them.
Lastly, investments of over $4.3 billion will support community infrastructure in first nations communities. This includes the innovative Watay project, also known as the Wataynikaneyap transmission project. It's Ontario's largest and most far-reaching indigenous-led transmission project. Once completed, it will connect 14,000 first nations community members to reliable electricity, electricity spanning over 1,800 kilometres. This will eliminate dependence on costly diesel fuel, improve connection and healthy socio-economic and environmental conditions, and decrease costs for communities over the long term.
I have to say on a personal note that it was very exciting to be in a community as they switched the lights on and to see the celebration of community members knowing that they had clean, reliable electricity in their community.
On April 18, for example, Sandy Lake First Nation was connected to the transmission line, and it is the 12th of a total of 16 first nations that will be connected to the grid. Almost $1.5 billion of the 2024-25 estimates is going towards supporting Watay.
As you know, the main estimates identify planned government spending and the spending authorities for which our departments seek Parliament's approval annually. As the main estimates are prepared in late fall, they don't include spending items announced in budget 2024. However, that said, through budget 2024 investments, we'll continue to build on the momentum that we're seeing. Since 2015, there's been a 180% increase in investments towards indigenous communities and around 25% of the investments in budget 2024 target indigenous priorities.
More than half of overall budget 2024 infrastructure funding is allocated for first nations on reserves. Thanks to the report produced by the Assembly of First Nations on closing the infrastructure gap, we can better plan for new approaches for that significant gap.
Indigenous Services Canada is assessing the investments and impacts of budget 2024 to its ongoing services, and how budget 2024's $2.3 billion over five years will renew existing programming. The federal government focuses on building relationships with indigenous partners by addressing past harms, increasing dialogue, supporting community capacity, fostering inherent self-rights and advancing a fair fiscal relationship with indigenous peoples. Budget 2024 makes investments in priority areas that will deliver an economic boost to these communities.
As previously mentioned, we're here to discuss the main estimates from my department, not budget 2024, but I look forward to discussing in more detail the budget 2024 investments at a future appearance, which I believe is on June 3.
I welcome your questions, I look forward to our conversation today, and I applaud your interest in pursuing reconciliation.
Thank you.