THE REPLACEMENT OF Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for Ireland is up for discussion today at a forum in Dublin.

It’s being led by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), an agency under the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which said the proposal is powered by a need for Ireland to have “as much control over its timing infrastructure as possible”.

The NSAI is today hosting Ireland’s inaugural Time and Sync Forum, which is bringing together authorities in timing and synchronisation from Ireland, the UK and the European Commission.

Today’s event in Santry is particularly focused on critical infrastructure on the island of Ireland.

It follows on from the launch of Ireland’s National Timing Grid in 2023

NSAI technical manager for time David Fleming said the gathering will provide valuable insights which help to inform policy development at Government level and outline the requirements for investment in key timing infrastructure for the country.

“In a time of disruption and major technological advancements, Ireland needs to be as self-sufficient in this area as possible, while also aligning fully with our international counterparts,” Fleming said.

“With this event, we are aiming to draw in and engage as many interested stakeholders as possible to determine the requirements across the diverse sectors dependent upon precise timing.”

The NSAI said that position, navigation and timing (known in the sector as PNT) plays a crucial role in modern economies by assisting with services, enabling “more than 10% of Europe’s annual GDP” in the process.