Does Ireland Still Change Its Clocks for Daylight Saving?

Yes, Ireland still changes its clocks twice a year, forward in spring and back in autumn.1Citizens Information. When do clocks change in Ireland? The European Parliament voted to end the changes in 2019, but no change is expected for years to come.2Citizens Information. When do clocks change in Ireland? Oddly, Irish law treats the summer clock, not the winter one, as the country’s official standard time.3Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland

When the Clocks Change in Ireland

In March you lose an hour of sleep, so Sunday morning feels early. In October you gain an hour, and the time between 1am and 2am happens twice. Phones and computers update themselves, but ovens, car clocks and some watches don’t, so it’s worth fixing those on Sunday morning. The change always lands on a Sunday because few people are travelling or working in the small hours then, which limits disruption to work and school.

In summer Ireland runs on Irish Standard Time, or IST, one hour ahead of Greenwich.6Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland In winter it runs on Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT, the same as London.7Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland That’s because a 1968 law set Irish time one hour ahead of Greenwich all year round.8Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland A 1971 amendment then made GMT apply in winter, so Ireland actually sits an hour behind its legal standard time from October to March.9Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland Day to day this makes no difference to your clock, since the dates and hours of change are the same either way.

Why the EU Plan to End Clock Changes Stalled

The European Commission proposed abolishing seasonal clock changes in 2018.10European Newsroom. Time to say goodbye: Will the EU ever abandon Daylight Saving Time? Nearly four million people across the then 28 member states had backed the idea in an open consultation.11European Newsroom. Time to say goodbye: Will the EU ever abandon Daylight Saving Time? In March 2019 the European Parliament voted 410 to 192 to end the changes from 2021.12euronews. EU planned to scrap clock changes. Why are they still happening? Headlines at the time said the clocks would stop changing in 2021, but that date depended on a law that was never finalised.

A new EU law needs both the Parliament and the Council of member states to agree.13European Council. Seasonal clock changes in the EU Parliament’s vote was therefore only one half of the process.

The Council has never agreed a position, which requires a qualified majority of countries.14European Council. Seasonal clock changes in the EU Until it does, the proposal sits unfinished. The European Commission has also said it does not plan to submit a new proposal.15Citizens Information. When do clocks change in Ireland? So no changes to summer and winter time are expected in the coming years.16Citizens Information. When do clocks change in Ireland?

The sticking point is that countries cannot agree whether summer time or winter time should apply permanently.17euronews. EU planned to scrap clock changes. Why are they still happening? Ending the switch only works once each country picks which clock to keep. Permanent summer time would mean very dark winter mornings, especially in western countries like Ireland and Portugal that sit far from the centre of their time zone. Permanent winter time would mean earlier sunsets in midsummer, losing the long bright evenings many value. And if neighbouring countries chose different clocks, the gap could be an hour for part of the year, complicating trade, travel timetables and broadcasting.

Ireland’s Own Position on Ending the Switch

Ireland’s government ran a consultation with an opinion poll of 1,000 people, a public survey with over 16,000 responses and more than 50 stakeholder submissions.18Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. Ireland to oppose ending of seasonal clock changes In that polling, 66% favoured ending clock changes, and 77% preferred permanent summer time if the switch ended.19PubMed Central. A Data-Informed Perspective on Public Preferences for Retaining or Abolishing Biannual Clock Changes Even so, the government’s stated conclusion was that Ireland would oppose ending seasonal clock changes.20Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. Ireland to oppose ending of seasonal clock changes

The government’s position also weighed practical and cross-border factors, not only what people preferred. Ireland has been here before: in the late 1960s Ireland and Britain kept summer time all year, and it was abandoned in the early 1970s because winter mornings were too dark.

The main concern is the border. Irish time has followed British time since 1916, keeping the whole island on one clock.21Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland After independence Ireland mirrored UK changes to avoid different times either side of the border.22Wikipedia. Time in the Republic of Ireland If the EU stopped changes and the UK kept them, Northern Ireland would be an hour ahead of the Republic for half the year.23www.irishpost.com. Island of Ireland to have TWO time-zones following Brexit as EU votes to scrap daylight savings time

Someone living in Donegal and working in Derry could find their commute shifting by an hour twice a year. Cross-border buses, trains and deliveries would need two sets of timetables for half the year.

How the Clock Change Affects Sleep and Health

In the days after the spring change, heart attack risk rises by about 4%.24PubMed Central. Daylight Saving Time Transitions and Risk of Heart Attack Losing an hour of sleep and pushing the body clock out of line with daylight are thought to strain the heart.25PubMed Central. Acute Myocardial Infarction and Daylight Saving Time Transitions: Is There a Risk? Some evidence shows little or no rise, though, and the autumn change shows no clear effect.26PubMed Central. Daylight Saving Time Transitions and Risk of Heart Attack27PubMed Central. Acute Myocardial Infarction and Daylight Saving Time Transitions: Is There a Risk?

Losing an hour tends to hurt more than gaining one. Most people find it easier to stay up later than to fall asleep earlier, so moving the clock forward fights the body’s natural drift. The body clock runs on light, so waking at 6am by the clock when your body thinks it’s 5am can mean morning grogginess for several days. The autumn change is usually easier for sleep, even though darker evenings affect mood.

On mood, one study found hospital visits for depression rose 11% in the 10 days after the autumn change.28Mindpax. Mastering the Autumn Time Shift: Science-Backed Tips for a Smooth Daylight Saving Transition US sleep specialists say permanent standard (winter-type) time fits human body clocks best.29PubMed Central. Permanent standard time is the optimal choice for health and safety: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement Permanent summer time would mean body-clock mismatch for all 12 months rather than about 8.30SLEEP. It is time to abolish the clock change and adopt permanent standard time in the United States: a Sleep Research Society position statement

To prepare for March, go to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier for a few nights beforehand, so the shift is spread out rather than arriving all at once. On the Sunday and Monday, get outdoor light soon after waking, since morning daylight resets the body clock fastest. Avoid driving drowsy on Monday morning, and leave extra time or share the drive if you feel tired. Anyone with a heart condition should keep to their usual medicines and routine rather than changing anything because of the clocks.

In October the earlier sunset can lower energy and mood for some people. A daylight walk at lunchtime helps offset the shorter afternoons. If you’re already prone to winter low mood, you may notice it then, and a GP can help.

Darker Evenings, Roads and Other Everyday Effects

In US data, crashes rose 6% in the four weeks after the autumn change, and night crashes rose 28%.31PubMed. Traffic crash changes following transitions between daylight saving time and standard time in the United States: New evidence for public policy making Reviews can’t say whether permanently moving light from morning to evening would make roads safer.32PubMed Central. Impact of daylight saving time on road traffic collision risk: a systematic review That’s partly because darkness carries different risks at different times. In the evening commute, drivers find pedestrians and cyclists harder to see. Before sunrise the problem is the reverse: in US data, crashes before sunrise were far more likely to involve pedestrians, and more than twice as likely for children.33CNN. Does Ireland Still Change Its Clocks for Daylight Saving Permanent summer time would put more school runs in winter darkness, a real concern at Ireland’s latitude.

After the October change your evening commute happens in the dark, so give yourself more time. Slow down near schools, crossings and footpaths. If you walk or cycle home, wear reflective gear and use lights so drivers can pick you out. Check your car lights and wipers on the change weekend, as dull or blown bulbs matter more once evenings are dark.

Whether the switch saves energy is disputed. One US study found it raised home electricity use by about 1%.34National Bureau of Economic Research. Does Daylight Saving Time Save Energy? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Indiana A British study found that more winter evening light would cut demand by at least 0.3%.35Energy Policy. The impact on energy consumption of daylight saving clock changes

Farms feel the change too. Dairy cows are milked to routine, and some farms shift milking by 30 minutes over two days rather than an hour at once.36American Dairy Association North East. How Daylight Saving Affects Cows

Travel schedules are mostly unaffected within these islands, since Ireland and the UK change on the same night and cross-channel times don’t shift. Flights from countries outside the EU may have a different time gap for a week or two, so check booking times in the week around the change.