Clock Blocking

at

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan

This morning.

EU member states must inform the European Commission this year if they would like to choose permanent summer or winter time and end the twice-yearly clock changes.

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan will ask the Government [today][ to reject this proposal on two grounds.

The first is that it cannot agree to any move that could result in different time zones on the island of Ireland.

The second centres on a fear that this change could lead to a ‘patchwork’ of time zones across the EU.

Govt to oppose EU plan to end seasonal clock changes (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

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16 thoughts on “Clock Blocking

  1. Spaghetti Hoop

    Ah here. Bring the vote to the people. Majority rules on this – not Flanagan’s conservatism.

  2. class wario

    I have to say I don’t really ‘get’ Irish people who oppose the changes (bar those who may oppose it due to agricultural reasons which I know nothing about). Things like phones or TVs or whatever automatically update anyway so the mild annoyance twice a year element is gone. The winter clock change is useful in that it gives us some actual light in the morning for a few weeks before the darkness catches up again. I don’t see how this isn’t preferable to darkness going into and leaving work for those in bogstandard 9-5 gigs for 3 months. It’s currently bright until about 10pm too which is great imo. What’s the benefit of getting rid?

    1. max

      Software engineers, People who suffer from SAD, people who kill themselves the week after the clock change, and apparently environmentalists in some countries as it leads to an increase in electricity usage.

      1. class wario

        Software engineer one is an interesting one, think I had heard that before but obviously hadn’t stuck in my brain. Others are fair enough but would seasonal change not be quite severe anyway? I have gotten varying degrees of SADs in the past and think the transition into Winter is just unpleasant in general. Environmental concerns also interesting, will look into that.

    2. Col

      I would prefer the extra hour of daylight after work in the Winter. I hate leaving the office in the dark. It also gets confusing if you work with people in other global timezones.

      1. kellMA

        Depending on where you work, this is just par for the course. One more timezone won’t make a difference.

      2. class wario

        A few weeks into the clock change and I find it’s dark around 4-5pm anyway. I just don’t see the enjoyment benefit from that potential extra time unless you work shifts or irregular days/hours to begin with. The passing bit of light is just a reminder that nightfall is incoming imo.

  3. Murtles

    Yes so we should be 1 hour behind the rest of the EU just so we can hunker down with the Brexiteers who the last I heard were going to stick to Summer time too which is not an EU issue it’s a global issue. I remember being in the US and getting up one morning at 7am, I decided to stop somewhere for breakfast about an hour later and it was still 7am. Mountain Time and wow, I survived.

    1. Cian

      If we stick to a single time- it should be winter-time – which is closest to our natural, solar time.

      1. kellMA

        I think we should use Rainbow time…. A term to be used for anyone who turns up whenever they feel like it and is perpetually “running late”. I have a few friends on rainbow time already.

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