THE European Commission is proposing to stop moving clocks forward and back in spring and autumn - potentially leaving Dublin and Belfast on different times post-Brexit.
The commission is to prepare a proposal to the EU Parliament and member states to ditch the system of twice-yearly changes following a citizens' consultation.
EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc said 84 per cent of the 4.6 million people who took part "do not want the clocks to change any more", although participation ranged from 3.8 per cent of Germans to just 0.24 per cent in the Republic and 0.02 per cent in the UK.
Since 1996, EU nations have moved the clock forward by one hour in March and back again in October.
The European Parliament and EU member states would need to approve a change, with a post-Brexit UK government potentially having to follow suit to avoid different time zones within the island of Ireland for seven months of the year.
Alternatively, if Northern Ireland was allowed to remain aligned to EU clocks, there would be a 'time border' created at the Irish Sea.
