Today's EP vote could bring an end to daylight savings time
The historic practice of clock changing in Ireland might be brought to an end today, as members of European Parliament sit to vote on the issue.
Traditionally, the clocks go forward in spring and go back in winter.
However, claims that the practice can negatively affect people's health, have gained support in recent times.
Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly is an advocate of the change.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, he said: "We're working to try and end it.
"It came in during World War One, it was supposed to be for energy savings - the indications are that there are very few energy savings, if any.
"There are an awful lot of disadvantages to both human beings and animals that make it outdated at this point."
Currently the clocks are set to go forward in Ireland on Sunday, March 25, and go back an hour on Sunday, October 28.
Fellow EU countries, Iceland, Turkey and Belarus have already scrapped the practice of clock changing.
The European Parliament's Research Service recently published a study on EU summer-time arrangements.
And found that health implications of Daylight Saving Time might be "more severe" than previously thought.
That report stated the following:
"Beyond considerations on the effects, repeal of the Summer Time Directive would not automatically abolish summer time across the EU," the report stated.
"It would just end EU-wide harmonisation and bring the issue of summer time back into the competence of the member states.
"Member states would be free to decide about their individual time regimes: they might opt to retain summer time (at the current or a modified DST schedule) or to end summer time.
"Abolishing summer time would in the first place result in year-round standard time ('winter time'), which by definition entails darker evenings in spring and summer.
"To obtain year-round summer time member states would technically need to change time zone.
"However, uncoordinated national time arrangements would likely have negative repercussions on the internal market."
Interesting.
Would you be in favour of the change?
