[tz] Irish Standard Time vs Irish Summer Time

[Clive D.W. Feather]

Lester Caine said:
> Since the tzdb is 'non-political', common interpretation can be taken as
> the rule, and since tzdb is only deemed to be accurate for dates since
> 1970, information such as the Irish Summer Time Act of 1925 are also out
> of scope.

I completely disagree. If the Irish Summer Time Act of 1925 was still in
force in 1970, then it applies to dates within the scope of tzdb. Are you
saying that the UK isn't really on GMT because GMT was invented before 1970?
Or that the entry for Europe/London shouldn't have anything for the period
before 1978 because, until then, time was defined by an 1880 Act (43 & 44
Vict. c.9)?

In any case, the current Irish legislation is the Standard Time (Amendment)
Act 1971.

> As Stephen says, EU law currently applies to the whole of the
> EU area, and defines daylight saving ( question perhaps is when did that
> apply to Ireland? )

Ireland joined the EU in 1973, the same as the UK and Denmark. But the
first Summer Time Directive (80/737/EEC) was issued in 1980.

> so should there be any timezones other than a single
> European time in the tzdb database?

EU law does not define a European time zone. It defines summer time
switching dates and the amount by which time changes. Mainland EU uses
three time zones, but other parts of the EU use others.

-- 
Clive D.W. Feather          | If you lie to the compiler,
Email: clive at davros.org     | it will get its revenge.
Web: http://www.davros.org  |   - Henry Spencer
Mobile: +44 7973 377646