Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to make a statement on this matter. I understand that it is an issue in which he has a keen personal interest. Our present time arrangements allow for summer time to begin at 1 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday in March and to end at 1 a.m. on the last Sunday in October every year. These arrangements are set out in the Winter Time Order 2001. This order gives effect to European Union Directive 2000/84/EC of 19 January 2001. As a result, all ED member states start summer time simultaneously. Consequently, time differences between member states remain constant throughout the year. Were we to consider extending summer time, and subsequently hoping to introduce such a change we would first have to convince all 26 other EU member states to do likewise in order that time differences between member states remain constant throughout the year.

In this regard I remind the Deputy that in accordance with EU Directive 200/84/EC my Department, in common with other member states and following consultations with other Departments and semi-State bodies, made submissions to the European Commission in July 2007 on our current time arrangements. The European Commission subsequently reported that it took the view that the analysis set out in the proposal for EU Directive 2000/84/EC remained valid and that no member state had expressed a wish to abandon summer time or change the provisions of the current directive.

In considering any potential changes to our current time arrangements I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that we must consider what is happening in the UK, not least because we have same time arrangements, they are our biggest trading partner and we share a border with Northern Ireland. A Private Members' Bill, the Daylight Saving Bill, passed its Second Reading in the UK House of Commons on 3 December 2010. If this Bill became law, the British Government would be required to conduct a cross-departmental analysis of the potential costs and benefits of the advancing time by one hour for all, or part of, the year. I understand that such analysis would include a breakdown, so far as possible, of the costs and benefits for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In light of this, I would expect that each of the devolved Administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland would ensure that their views and concerns would be fully reflected in any analysis that might be conducted.

If this cost benefit analysis is to be conducted, the Bill requires that an independent commission be established to assess it. If that commission concludes that the advancing of time by one hour for all, or part of, the year would be beneficial to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland then an order bringing the commission's recommendations into effect for a three-year trial period would need to be made. Given that European Union Directive 2000/84/EC results in all member states starting and ending summertime simultaneously in order that time differences between them remain constant throughout the year, this would impose a limitation on the discretion available in this area. In advance of the Second Reading of the Daylight Savings Bill, Mr. Edward Davey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, sought a meeting with Ireland's ambassador in London to discuss issues of concern. This meeting took place in November 2010.

My Department is keeping a watching brief in regard to the passage of this Bill. Officials from my Department met the Bill's sponsor, Ms Rebecca Harris, MP, in February of this year for the purpose of finding out more about the background to her Bill and registering an interest in its passage through the House of Commons in respect of any implications it might have for this country. However, no discussions on this matter have taken place to date with our European colleagues as the matter is not at a sufficiently advanced stage at Westminster.

I have no plans at this time to change the current time zone arrangements or to conduct an analysis of extending summertime. It is an issue to which the Deputy might give further consideration in his capacity as Chairman of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality.

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