An Garda Síochana says greater driver compliance is behind a significant fall in the number of speeding fines handed out last year.
Gardaí took in €12.9 million in fines from privately operated speed cameras last year, down 15.9 per cent on the €15.5 million gathered in revenue in 2023. The revenue received last year is some €5 million less than the force paid for private services to operate the speed cameras.
In a statement, gardaí said the declining revenue figures a result of a fall in the number of fixed charge notices for speeding from 110,000 in 2024 to 96,500 last year, an overall fall of 12.2 per cent.
This is despite increased monitoring of motorists with surveillance of the GoSafe cameras rising from 6,000 hours a month in 2023 to 9,000 hours a month in 2023 and 2025.
READ MORE
“An overall reduction in the number of fixed charge notices issued by mobile safety camera vans is an indication of increased compliance with speed limits by drivers in the identified and monitored safety camera zones,” gardaí said.
The speeding fine figures were obtained by Irish MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú following a request under Freedom of Information laws.
She questioned why revenue from privately operated speed cameras fell by 15.9 per cent between 2023 and last year. Gardaí received €15.3 million in revenue from speeding fines in 2023, having paid private operators €13 million. This left a €2.3 million surplus.
An Garda Síochána paid out €13.4 million to private operators up to August 18th in 2025, but has not revealed how much revenue it has taken in for this period.
Asked why An Garda Síochána appeared to be running the mobile safety camera vans at a loss, a spokesman said that the force has “consistently stated and highlighted that mobile safety camera vans are not about raising revenue.
“They are directed for deployment in high collision prone zones on a repetitive and recurring basis in order to change driver behaviour and pattern in those zones to make those designated zones safer.”
Dublin and Tipperary were the two highest-grossing counties for the speed vans in the period covered by the request, followed closely by Cork and Kildare.
Between January 2023 and early June 2025, €6.2 million was collected from motorists in Dublin, €3.3 million came from Tipperary, and €2.9 million was collected from Cork, with decreasing amounts for Kildare, Galway, Wicklow, Westmeath, Limerick, Mayo and Cavan/Monaghan.
Ms Ní Mhurchú, who is a member of the EU’s transport committee, has called for a greater concentration of speed vans at traffic-incident black spots and on rural roads where speeding dramatically affects road safety.
She estimated that 10 to 15 per cent of all crashes and 30 per cent of all fatal collisions across the EU are the result of speeding, or inappropriate speed.
Ms Ní Mhurchú welcomed an extra €9 million in funding for up to 100 new speed cameras to enhance road safety at the end of 2024, but said continual investment in new technology is needed to catch those who are flouting the law.
[ Garda Commissioner calls for graduated fines to punish those caught speedingOpens in new window ]
She also called for smarter positioning of the current stock of speed vans to ensure they are placed in areas with the highest risk of road fatalities.
She also called for consideration of re-education courses as a judicial sanction for drivers who are repeatedly caught speeding.
An Garda Síochána has been contacted for comment.
Top 10 counties in Ireland for revenue generated by Garda speed vans from January 2023 to June 8th, 2025.
| County | Total Revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | €6,227,840 |
| 2 | Tipperary | €3,322,880 |
| 3 | Cork | €2,893,200 |
| 4 | Kildare | €2,514,080 |
| 5 | Galway | €1,916,640 |
| 6 | Wicklow | €1,758,480 |
| 7 | Westmeath | €1,742,000 |
| 8 | Limerick | €1,411,760 |
| 9 | Mayo | €1,385,440 |
| 10 | Cavan/Monaghan | €1,188,682 |
