As people are waking up having one less hour’s sleep, there are once again calls to scrap changing the clocks twice a year.
Summertime has officially kicked in as the clocks moved an hour ahead overnight as part of a century-old tradition known as daylight saving.
Daylight saving was first introduced in Ireland and the UK on May 21st, 1916, during World War I as Germany had introduced it earlier that year and Britain feared this could lead to strategic advantages.
The decision was met with opposition at the time from several Irish institutions, notably The Irish Times, who argued “the crude and never-ending daylight would banish from the world half the beauty and all the romance of summer”.
It is also widely believed that daylight saving was introduced for farmers to have more time to work in the fields. However, farmers at the time were strongly opposed to changing the clocks as their schedule was dictated by the sun.
Many countries later abandoned daylight following WWI, with the exception of Europe, Canada and the United States.
Now, as the clocks move forward once again, calls to scrap the clock change have emerged once again.
'Completely outdated'
Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly wants pressure to be put on the European Commission to scrap the clocks changing twice a year.
“It's just logical to not change the clocks biannually anymore from an energy cost point of view from a health point of point of view, and even from a nuisance point of view,” he said.
“I think it's time to put it on the agenda again, and to try and get everybody on board so that we can get you unanimity about ending is as soon as possible, because it's completely outdated.”
While many people consider scrapping daylight savings, there is also precedent for scrapping clocks going backwards.
In 1974, the US implemented a permanent daylight saving time. However, there were complaints of children going to school in the dark and working people commuting and starting their workday in pitch darkness during the winter, and it was repealed a year later.
Health risks of daylight saving
Professor Luke O’Neill previously told Newstalk there is “very clear evidence” that changing the clocks is bad for our health.
“You reacclimatise after a few days anyway, but in that period, say a few days after the clock changes, there is an increased risk of various things like heart attacks - that is very clear - and stroke for example,” he said.
“Just because we're slightly out of sync with our biological clock.
“You reacclimatise after a few days anyway, but in that period, say a few days after the clock changes, there is an increased risk of various things like heart attacks - that is very clear - and stroke for example,” he said.
“Just because we're slightly out of sync with our biological clock.
There is also reportedly a 6% increased risk of fatal car crashes in the days after the clock changes.
The European Parliament has already voted to abolish daylight savings altogether, with countries due to remain on ‘summer time’ all year round.
However, despite the vote passing in 2021, nothing has happened in the years since.
The clocks will move back once again on October 27th.
