Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Okay, thanks. Clearly, there were challenges involved in the situation of which you speak. That is why the department decided to allocate funds for this year, 2009-2010, based on performance. In my statement, I have talked about the relationship between these funds and the delivery of specific services.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It doesn't include core funding, no.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Russell. When the minister met with the delegation from Saskatchewan, including Chief Lonechild and others from the university and the FSIN, he invited, in fact, a proposal through the ISSP. No amount was discussed, and indeed, at that meeting--

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Right.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  It's $7.3 million and there is a total of $22 million in ISSP.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  So the $7.3 million is part of the $22 million and when--

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Okay. Sorry.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There is a special Treasury Board approval that the department received in order to fund core funding at the First Nations University.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  No, he invited a proposal under the ISSP program, but it would have to meet the criteria of proposal-driven ISSP.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  But under the program, and I'll just give an example, you can fund particular programs. So there are elements that the First Nations University currently undertakes that would be eligible for the ISSP program.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Thank you very much. Good evening, Mr. Chair, committee members, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to talk about the First Nations University of Canada and, most importantly, to discuss the important steps being taken to help ensure current students of the university can complete their academic year.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I have to say, Mr. Lévesque, that I do not quite understand why you think the situation in Manitoba runs counter to Jordan's Principle. There is a process in place. The case of each child with service-related problems is weighed. We determine what the child needs and who should dispense the services.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, you are correct. In some cases, government do not agree with the idea of covering the costs for certain children. According to this Principle, despite jurisdictional disputes opposing governments, the organization responsible for the child at a given time continues to dispense services.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  A process is already in place in Manitoba. If Jordan's Principle applies in the case of a child, it is because that child is not receiving the necessary care. The process, which involves all governments, First Nations and service providers, consists of evaluating the situation and ensuring that the children receive the necessary care.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The aim of the agreement is to ensure that a process is followed and that everyone works together. The goal is to ensure that the proper services are and will continue to be provided and that a decision-making process is followed to determine which level of government must cover the financial cost.