THE IRISH government has written to our local Council to get its views on the EU’s proposal to end seasonal clock changes, given the potential impact such a change could have on Fermanagh.
While some have dismissed the notion that Belcoo could end up in a different time zone as Blacklion post-Brexit or that there could be different times on different sides of the street in Pettigo, it appears the Dublin government are taking the possibility very seriously.
Following a continent-wide public consultation which overwhelmingly backed the idea, the EU Commission has proposed doing away with the annual clock changes. If this goes ahead and the UK keeps the current system of “falling back and springing forward”, then for six months every year Fermanagh could be in a different time zone to many of its neighbouring counties. Last week a representative from the Department of Justice and Equality wrote to the Council asking it to make a submission to the current public consultation in the plan.
According to the Department the proposed changes, and thus the potential for a time difference along the border, could come into affect as early as three year’s time, with the last mandatory clock change taking place on March 28th, 2021.
EU member states who wish to remain on wintertime would make one last seasonal changes on October 20, 2021.
If the Brexit process continues on its current trajectory, and the dropping of the clock changes is adopted by the EU, it appears more and more likely the situation will arise where the North will be in a different times zone than the South, unless a decision is taken to have it align its time with Dublin.
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