Mr Flanagan will tell his Government colleagues that the move could lead to Northern Ireland and the Republic being in different time zones for seven months of the year, The Irish Times reports.

The European Parliament recently voted to abolish daylight savings time across the EU by 2021, in spite of opposition from some member states including the UK.

The move only requires a qualified majority – the support of at least 55 per cent of member states, representing at least 65 per cent of the EU’s population – and the support of the European Parliament to go ahead.

The directive will be binding on EU member states, but concerns have been raised that the UK, which is opposed to the measure and is in the process of leaving the EU, may not follow suit.