New figures have shown that Laois motorists have paid the cost of speeding, with over €430,000 collected in Laois speeding fines since 2023.

Gardaí have released figures showing that €32,437,002 has been collected in fines from Garda speed vans between January 2023, and June 8, 2025.

However, Gardaí have spent over €44 million to private speed camera operators in the same period of time, resulting in a 15.9% fall in revenue generated, with the Garda speed van system operating at an overall loss.

Pictured: a new static speed camera installed on the N80 in May

Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has called for a get-tough approach to those who are caught doing excessive speeds on our rural roads.

The The EU Transport Committee MEP has called for a greater concentration of speed vans at accident black spots and on our rural roads where speeding is dramatically impacting on road safety. 

The MEP questioned why revenue from speed vans across all garda districts fell by 15.9% between 2023 and 2024.

Dublin and Tipperary were two of the highest grossing counties for the Garda speed vans in the period with Cork and Kildare following closely behind. 

According to Ní Mhurchú, speeding caused the deaths of 52 Irish people in 2024. 

“A European Commission report from 2020 estimated that 10 to 15% of all crashes and 30% of all fatal crashes are the direct result of speeding or inappropriate speed," Ms Ní Mhurchú said.

"174 people died on Irish roads in 2024, which means that 52 of those people died as a direct result of speeding (30%). There are 52 families across the country mourning loved ones because we have failed to tackle speeding in any meaningful way."

The Fianna Fáil MEP 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 that continual investment in new technology is needed to catch those who are flouting the law. 

Ms Ní Mhurchú has also called for smarter positioning of our current stock of speed vans to ensure they are located in areas of highest risk of road fatalities.

She has called for consideration of re-education courses as a judicial sanction for drivers who are repeatedly caught speeding. 

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