'Toddler is being discriminated against and denied €5k subsidy due to his disability'

20-month-old Arlo Neill suffers from intestinal failure. His parents are bringing a case for discrimination to the WRC on the basis that he is being denied the payment all parents receive to subsidise childcare. Picture: Moya Nolan

A 20-month-old child with a rare medical condition is being denied universal subsidies because of his disability.

Arlo Neill’s parents, in Booterstown, Co Dublin, are bringing a case for discrimination to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) on the basis that he is being denied the payments all parents receive to subsidise childcare and early learning.

Arlo’s family are missing out on €5,000 in State funding annually because the scheme does not cater for a child with his level of disability. He has a complex condition that afflicts the intestines and requires him to be fed intravenously and receive a range of medicines daily.

His parents had located a creche for him, but when his condition came to light, the owner said they would not be able to accommodate him. Arlo’s medical team agreed that his needs meant he would be unsuitable for a group setting.

His parents sourced a nanny with a healthcare background, who would care for Arlo at home during the day while his mother, Linda, returned to work. However, the family discovered that the universal national childcare scheme (NCS) did not cover Arlo’s care.

Arlo Neill at home with his parents Nason and Linda and his brother, three-year-old Nason. 20-month-old Arlo suffers from intestinal failure. Picture: Moya Nolan

To qualify for the NCS, a childminder must meet specific criteria, and the Neills’ arrangement was the equivalent of having a nanny in their home, which is not covered.

“The way it is designed, it looks like they simply forgot about parents who go back to work,” Linda Neill says.

“I understand why they don’t want to supplement the employment of nannies, as it is something of a privilege to have somebody in your house looking after your children. 

But what they have done, through omission, is left out the children with special needs who cannot go into a group setting.

She has engaged with her local authority, Pobal, the agency that administers the NCS, and with the Department of Children, Equality, and Disability about her dilemma. She received responses, but none, she says, that offered a viable solution.

The family’s complaint to the WRC is under equality legislation.

“The Equal Status Act 2000 requires that the minister make reasonable accommodations for children who cannot attend group childcare settings on the grounds of disability,” the complaint reads. “Currently, there are no provisions within the NCS to accommodate these children.”

The Department of Children, Equality, and Disability was contacted, but no reply was received by the time of going to press.