Is time up for winter clock change?

MEP Sean Kelly says he hopes last weekend will be the final time people across Europe have to turn their clocks back an hour for winter time.

Mr Kelly – Ireland’s only Member of the European Parliament Working Group on the bi-annual Clock Change – said that if a proposal to abolish Daylight Saving Time across the EU goes ahead, Ireland and the rest of Europe may set the clocks forward an hour next spring for ‘summer time’ and then leave the clocks there for good.

This follows the publication of the European Commission’s public consultation on the bi-annual clock change, which showed that 84 percent of European citizens want to stop changing the clock.

The consultation, brought forward following the campaign led by Mr Kelly and MEPs belonging to the Working Group, received 4.6 million responses from all 28 Member States. That was the highest number of responses ever received in any Commission public consultation.

“It is extremely welcome that the Commission are acting so quickly after the release of the consultation results,” said the Ireland South Fine Gael MEP.

“It is important that we listen to what the vast majority of people have asked for and to deliver it for them. I have been working towards this proposal for the best part of a decade as Ireland’s member of the European Parliament’s Working Group on the Clock Change, and I am delighted that there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

“I hope that we can get the required legislation through Parliament and Council as quickly as possible and put an end to this archaic practice”, he added.

Mr Kelly is also encouraging the Irish Government to carry out the Irish public consultation on clock change quickly as there is a clear picture of the Irish public’s views on the issue.