CHANGING the clocks twice a year is an “outdated practice” that needs to end by next year, an Irish MEP has blasted.
The Government last year confirmed it intends to keep moving our time back by an hour every October to keep the mornings brighter and forward again in March.
The clocks are set to go forward by one hour next weekend, in the early hours of Sunday March 30.
But MEP Sean Kelly has warned that the EU obligation to switch to summer time on the last Sunday of March and to switch back to their standard time on the last Sunday in October is having too many “negative effects”.
He said: “The European Parliament has been clear: the biannual clock change must end.
“We voted for its abolition in 2019, and citizens overwhelmingly support it.
“Yet here we are in 2025, and nothing has changed. This outdated practice continues to disrupt our lives twice a year.”
The MEP for Ireland South warned of the health risks associated with the clock change.
He said: “We know that even a one-hour shift in our circadian rhythm has measurable negative effects.
“Studies link the clock change to increased rates of strokes, heart attacks, and sleep deprivation.
“Road traffic accidents rise by six per cent after the springtime change.
“Productivity drops, workplace errors increase, and the negative effects disproportionately impact night-shift workers, children, and the elderly.”
The time change which is known as Daylight Savings Time was first introduced in Ireland back in 1916 and has been operating since.
Kerry politician Kelly emphasised that 84 per cent called for an end to the clock change in 2018.
He said: “The people of Europe have spoken, but they have been ignored for too long. It is time to act.”
He called on the European Commission to reintroduce a legislative proposal and not let the issue “fade into the background”.
He continued: “The current system serves no one. We have the evidence, we have the public support, and if we have the political will – we will see change.”
Addressing the economic implications, Kelly added: “The idea that we are saving energy by changing the clocks no longer holds.
“Research shows any savings are negligible, often less than one per cent, and in some cases, energy use actually increases.
“Businesses, particularly in transport and finance, face unnecessary costs adjusting to these changes.”
Former Justice Minister Helen McEntee declared Ireland’s “constant position” has been that it “will not support the proposal” to end the clock changes.
Speaking last year, she said: “A major consideration is the possibility that the proposal would lead to the imposition of two time zones on the island.
“More generally in the context of the EU’s proposal Ireland’s position , along with a number of other member states, has reflected concern that the proposal would reduce synchronicity and result in a patchwork of time zones across the EU and thereby causing unnecessary confusion in the Single Market.
“Ireland has supported the carrying out of a full impact assessment of the proposal prior to any final decisions being taken at EU level.
“Discussions with Member States on the proposal are ongoing via the TTE Council.”
