Irish Mountain
Running Association

Consultation on Daylight savings time changes

AuthorDateMessage
Kevin O'RiordanNov 3 2018, 6:50pmHi,

As those of you who were at the AGM would have heard, the Irish government is currently running a consultation on proposed changes to daylight savings time.

While at the moment it's looking like the preferred option will be to keep summer time all year round, it could also go the other way and they may decide to keep winter time all year round. Obviously this would have major implications for our summer leagues with the season at least a month shorter and longer evening races under threat due to fewer hours of daylight in the evenings.

The committee hope to give our opinion on behalf of the membership, but it would also be helpful if individuals filled out the survey to give more weight.

The survey link is here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Consultation_on_Seasonal_Clock_Changes

You can also email them directly at timeconsultation@justice.ie
Tanya SheridanNov 23 2018, 3:39pmAll, Closing date for submissions on the proposed seasonal time changes is *November 30* - that’s next Friday.

As an illustration of the potential impact on IMRA: if a decision is made to change to constant winter time, sunset in Wicklow in mid-June would be at 20.56. That would obviously have a very material adverse impact on the Leinster League. (It could also impact other outdoor organisations who may not be aware of this consultation – so please consider if there are people outside of IMRA you should alert).

Please help to avoid this outcome. It is very easy to respond and there are two options:

1. The survey monkey by answering 3 straightforward questions (guidance below) – available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Consultation_on_Seasonal_Clock_Changes

2. With a text submission to the following address: timeconsultation@justice.ie

A: Guidance for responding to the Survey Monkey:

1. Skip the 1st question
2. Question 2: Answer no
3. Question 3: Click summertime
4. Question 4: suggested short text should as “The most important thing to me is to preserve a summer season in the 26 counties, regardless of what other jurisdictions might decide”

B: Text submissions:

The Committee is being assisted by a number of volunteers to prepare a response on behalf of IMRA.

We also plan to send a form of response that members can use if they wish to also email views to timeconsultation@justice.ie.

Further information is available at this link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Consultation_on_Seasonal_Clock_Changes

*Thanks to Paul Morrissey for alerting us to this and doing so much work on it.*
Tanya SheridanNov 29 2018, 1:16pmAll, following up on the last post, below is suggested text of an email that interested IMRA members – or other outdoor sports enthusiasts - could send to timeconsultation@justice.ie.

Where we left square brackets – that is to indicate places you should amend by deleting the brackets, as well as any text that does not apply to you. Of course, everyone is welcome to change the text as much as you want – this was just intended as a starter.

Niamh and Cormac O’Ceallaigh and Paul Morrissey helped so much with this and also put together a really great submission to come from IMRA. So huge thanks to them again.

**
Dear Sir/Madam,

Regarding the Consultation on Seasonal Clock Changes, I would be very grateful if you could please note my views against any change to constant winter time. The detrimental impact that that change would have on me and my community is described below.

I am keen participant in outdoor activities, such as [hill-running, orienteering and mountain biking]. My enjoyments of these sports, the community of friends I have formed through them and my ability to enjoy long summer evenings in the hills forms an integral and vital part of [my physical and mental health][ social outlets] [volunteer and sporting activities].

I am very concerned by the proposal. Any change to the number of daylights hours in the summer evenings would drastically reduce the ability of sporting organisations to put on summer evening events safely on weekday evenings. It would effectively close Ireland’s hills and trails to those who look forward to summer evening events.

I appeal to you to please consider the drastic impact a decision to shorten the summer evenings by bringing in constant winter would have on outdoor enthusiasts.

Thank you
Paul MorrisseyNov 29 2018, 2:21pmSome analysis was carried out to see what the precise effects of permanent wintertime would be on the IMRA calendar and it showed that it would not be possible to commence the summer league until early May and it couldn’t continue past mid August with the potential abandonment of some of the longer races. An analysis of the results of this years trail and Leinster leagues shows that under wintertime the last runner would not be home until very close to or after sunset in almost all races and this is under the assumption of a 7pm early start for all races (Early start does not at present apply to races under 8k) . Under winter time the last runner at this years’ Earl’s Drive race would not have been home until 54 minutes after sunset when it would have been completely dark. The last runner would have crossed the line at Brockagh in the middle of July a full 24 minutes after sunset.

Even though the likelihood is that the decision will fall in favour of permanent summertime there is no room for complacency. It is likely that the consultation will have a low response rate which means that it is very possible for an organised campaign to skew the result in its favour. Permanent summer time would mean that in mid winter children in the west of Ireland would be behind their desks in school for a full hour before the sun comes up there at 10am. It is possible that people living there would have strong opinions in favour of winter time. The results of this consultation will have a real bearing on the decision to go with either winter or summer time as it will be the only gauge of public opinion on the issue. It is important to get as many responses to this as possible in favour of summertime. Closing date for submissions is tomorrow, do it now!!
Paul MorrisseyNov 29 2018, 2:21pmSome analysis was carried out to see what the precise effects of permanent wintertime would be on the IMRA calendar and it showed that it would not be possible to commence the summer league until early May and it couldn’t continue past mid August with the potential abandonment of some of the longer races. An analysis of the results of this years trail and Leinster leagues shows that under wintertime the last runner would not be home until very close to or after sunset in almost all races and this is under the assumption of a 7pm early start for all races (Early start does not at present apply to races under 8k) . Under winter time the last runner at this years’ Earl’s Drive race would not have been home until 54 minutes after sunset when it would have been completely dark. The last runner would have crossed the line at Brockagh in the middle of July a full 24 minutes after sunset.

Even though the likelihood is that the decision will fall in favour of permanent summertime there is no room for complacency. It is likely that the consultation will have a low response rate which means that it is very possible for an organised campaign to skew the result in its favour. Permanent summer time would mean that in mid winter children in the west of Ireland would be behind their desks in school for a full hour before the sun comes up there at 10am. It is possible that people living there would have strong opinions in favour of winter time. The results of this consultation will have a real bearing on the decision to go with either winter or summer time as it will be the only gauge of public opinion on the issue. It is important to get as many responses to this as possible in favour of summertime. Closing date for submissions is tomorrow, do it now!!
John McCannNov 29 2018, 4:38pmSurvey completed and email sent. Well done Paul and the IMRA committee for getting ahead of this.
Gary Mason81Nov 29 2018, 7:17pmDone. Thanks folks, I would have missed this completely
Aidan O'DonoghueNov 29 2018, 7:58pmDone. Thanks for the links.
S.M. GriffithNov 29 2018, 9:12pmDone.

Fair play Paul et al for bringing this to members' attention, and thanks to the committee for submitting a response on behalf of IMRA members. I really hope things stay as they are! I don't want to imagine a shorter summer.

It beggars belief that such energy is going into this when there are far more important issues to be dealing with across Europe.

Thanks again for highlighting the consultation.
Conor O'FarrellNov 30 2018, 12:10pmAs Paul says above, there is no room for complacency.

I learned a valuable lesson today: not everyone thinks this is a good idea. I asked some friends to complete the survey and it backfired dramatically. They don't want the clocks to change twice a year, but want it to remain at winter time because the long summer evenings are wasted on them etc. I'm dumbfounded by the logic, but I guess not everyone has the same priorities as us.

Anyway, that's just an insight as to how this could go if we don't get our skates on.

Thanks to Paul, Niamh, Cormack and everyone else involved in raising this, and Tanya and the committee for following up.

Con
Jason KehoeJul 17 2019, 7:55amIreland to oppose scraping daylight savings time.

"The EU is seeking to abolish the twice-yearly clock change, but there are fears in Ireland that this could result in two time zones on the island after Brexit."

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/ireland-to-oppose-eu-plans-to-scrap-daylight-saving-time-38320350.html