The Tús initiative is a community work placement scheme providing short-term working opportunities for unemployed people. The placement opportunities benefit community and voluntary organizations.
How Tús Works
The Participant
The Department of Social Protection randomly selects individuals from the live register and write to them to determine if they are interested in participating in the scheme. At this point the names and contact details of the interested individuals are sent to MID. All the people referred to MID are invited to attend an informal interview with a Tús Supervisor to try and match them with community work opportunities identified in their locality. In this programme, unemployed individuals interested in participating in the Tús Scheme are not allowed to make applications directly.
To be eligible for selection for the Tús scheme you must:
- Have been continuously unemployed for at least 12 months and "signing on" on a full-time basis;
- Have been receiving a jobseeker's payment (Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance) from the Department of Social Protection for at least 12 months;
- Be currently receiving Jobseeker's Allowance.
- Transitioning from One parent to JSA
Each participant is provided with a 12 month contract and during this time they have the on-going support of the Tús Supervisors employed by MID, as well as the support of the key contact in the community group where they are placed. While on the programme, participants are supported in their efforts to get as much benefit from the experience as possible.,
Community and Voluntary Groups
Monaghan Integrated Development (MID) continually promotes the Tus programme and are looking for new groups based in either rural or urban areas who wish to be considered to host placements.
TÚS is an excellent opportunity for community groups in Monaghan who are looking for workers to carry out work in the categories listed below.
The types of project eligible for the scheme may include:
- Environmental services (conservation and maintenance of national walkways)
- Caring services (childcare, care of older people)
- General community services (newsletters or information provision for communities)
- Heritage and cultural services (local heritage project)
- Para-educational services (community playgroups)
- Energy conservation work in homes and community buildings
- Social care of all age groups and people with disabilities
- Caretaking, securing, supervising of community buildings and spaces
- Renovation of community and sporting facilities, including the regeneration and enhancement of community, recreation and sporting spaces
- Work in support of cultural and heritage activities
- Community administration and community event management
- Coaching for sporting activities
Our Tús Supervisor Team identifies suitable opportunities for work placements throughout the county.
Not for profit groups who are providing services within their communities are asked to indicate if they have opportunities for placing programme participants within their groups.
These work opportunities must not displace existing commercial activity or duplicate service provision by another agency.
The work placements are proposed and provided by community and voluntary organisations. The organisations must provide good quality work opportunities that are of benefit to the community.
Organisations with a proposed work placement should register with Monaghan Integrated Development (MID). They will be asked to submit a proposal detailing the work and the number of participants requested. MID will then assess and make a decision on the proposal.
Any organisation with a proposed work placement should register their interest in getting a worker with the Tús team on 042 9795730 or
Rural Social Scheme (RSS)
The Rural Social Scheme framework falls under the remit of the Department of Social Protection. The Rural Social Scheme was launched by Minister Eamon O’ Cuiv in 2004. The aim of the Scheme was to provide income support to farmers and fisher persons who are in receipt of certain specified social welfare payments and also to provide services to rural communities.
