I rise to talk about an issue that, I am sure, many in the Chamber have been in touch with constituents about: the paediatric percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube surgery waiting list. There is a small group of parents and carers across Northern Ireland — I believe that the number is sitting at 93 — whose children are waiting for PEG tube surgery. For context, that is surgery to insert a feeding tube through the abdomen. Currently, the Majority of those children have a feeding tube through their nose. Unfortunately, the parents of those children find themselves having to visit their local GP, be visited by the community children's nursing teams or even be trained themselves to reinsert the tubes, because, for various reasons, they often come out. There are long-term and short-term effects of the use of nasal feeding tubes, such as the displacement of the tube, vomiting, coughing, loss of appetite and even pain and discomfort. As a parent, I never want to see my child in pain or discomfort.

Some of those families and one in particular have been waiting for over three years for the surgery. Given that the list is definitive — there are 93 children on it — we must hear from the Health Minister on what plans there are to ensure that those children can be seen as soon as possible. We understand the resourcing issues, but, when we are dealing with such a specific and narrow group of young people in Northern Ireland, there must be plans in place. We have engaged with the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. They have been more than eager to work with the Minister to come up with plans to tackle the waiting list, particularly when it comes to possibly transferring children to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

We all know people across Northern Ireland who are on a waiting list, and, indeed, some of us are waiting. However, when it comes to children being on a waiting list for issues that cause pain and discomfort, we can understand the frustration that those parents feel. I stand with them when they lobby the Minister and the Belfast Trust to ensure that they are expedited through the process in a way that, of course, meets clinical need and ensures that they can get the right treatment for their children. I hope that all Members will join in making sure that everyone works together and puts pressure on to ensure that all 93 of those young people can get the surgery that they need as soon as possible.