Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department has budgeted $80,000 per year for education leave for health care professionals. During this fiscal year, the department actually overspent this by $25,000. This happened because there was a total of five employees who obtained education leave, all of whom are returning students. It is difficult when we provide funding and students start back to school, not to be able to continue once they get there. There was a need for additional resources.
Employees within the department and the boards who are unsuccessful in obtaining education leave are granted preference on the next round of consideration for education leave. Funding for this program during the fiscal year has been committed. We cannot go back on the commitment we have already made to students.
Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, I agree in principle with the Member's concern that we could not accommodate his constituent. However, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that Ministers proceed with caution and we do not make hasty, ad-hoc decisions without all of the relevant and pertinent information we need to do that. We have to consider fairness. We have to consider how many other people have applied for this.
When applications are assessed, there are many different criteria which are taken into consideration. That is why I told Mr. Miltenberger I would look into the prospects of additional funding. I did take the initiative, as he mentioned, to contact his constituent directly, who had previously written to me, and encouraged her to be patient and thank her for her interest in pursuing her education and reinvesting that in the North. Thank you.