A Clare farming representative insists scrapping daylight saving time would be potentially hazardous for children who walk to school in the mornings.
In advance of the clocks going back at the weekend, MEP for this region Seán Kelly renewed his call for the bi-annual time change to be done away with.
Many people enjoyed either an extra hour in bed or additional time out on the town at the weekend as the clocks went back at 2am on Sunday morning.
However, while some reap the benefits of the time change which occurs twice annually, more and more commentators in recent years have voiced their dislike for the seasonal time changes.
In 2019, the European Parliament voted to abolish the practice entirely after Spring 2021 but this was postponed once the pandemic hit and hasn’t been revisited since.
Ireland South MEP Seán Kelly, who was one of those in support of the proposal, believes scrapping the bi-annual time change altogether, or shortening ‘winter time’ by delaying the change until November and starting ‘spring time’ a month earlier in February, would reduce the health impacts associated with daylight savings.
Road safety has been cited as one reason why ‘winter time’ should be got rid of, with the AA reporting that the number of road traffic collisions rises by almost a quarter when the clocks go back.
However, Clare Chair of the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers’ Association Martin McMahon believes changing the time to give an extra hour of light in the morning is vital for children’s safety on the roads.
Former Active Retirement Ireland President and Shannon resident Kay Murphy meanwhile is adamant that the arguments against daylight savings are null and void because people have the ability to adjust their habits and rhythms.
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