There are two very important things to remember this Sunday: Mother’s Day and spring forward the clocks!
Yes it’s that time of year again – where you try and figure out which one of your internet contraptions automatically adjust the time and which don’t.
The British Summer Time (BST) officially starts at 1am on Sunday 31 March. The clocks go forward an hour to 2am.
However this could be one of the last times we change the clocks.
According to one Ireland South MEP, the European Parliament are now one step closer to abolishing seasonal clock-changes.
The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee has said that seasonal clock changes should be abolished in 2021 and it is up to the Member States to choose between winter or summer time.
In an online consultation by the European Commission conducted last year, more than 80 percent of the participants expressed their support for the abolition of the seasonal clock-change.
According to the committee, Member States should notify the Commission of their choice by April 2020.
MEP Deirdre Clune said: “At European level Irish people took part in a public consultation and Ireland voted overwhelmingly to stop the clock changes.
“There are many benefits to ending the process of changing the clocks each year such as improved outcomes for road safety and economic benefits. In addition brighter evenings in winter would have a positive benefit for public health.”
Late last year Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD announced a consultation asking members of the public whether they are in favour of abandoning the current system and, if they are, whether they would prefer to stay constantly on ‘summer time’ or ‘winter time’.
MEP Clune added: “Summertime arrangements in the EU require that the clocks are changed twice per year in order to cater for the changing patterns of daylight and to take advantage of the available daylight in a given period.”
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