Speed cameras have cost the State €88 million and one Independent TD is far from happy

Figures released by the Department of Justice revealed that the State spent almost €88 million on the enforcement of private speed vans in the space of five years.

The figures show that the State paid the private safety camera operators a total of €87,951,268 from the time they were deployed in 2010 to July 22 last year, while they recouped just €32,689,120 in fines during that same period.

The cameras seem to have had a positive effect on the number of road deaths recorded since they came into affect as the number of deaths on Irish roads dropped by 77 within two years of their deployment.

Despite the fact that road deaths have been greatly reduced since the speed vans were introduced, Independent TD for Tipperary Mattie McGrath has questioned the cost of the vans.

“There is no doubting the impact of the safety camera regime on reducing road fatalities and accidents particularly in areas that have been blighted by these incidents over the years, and indeed I am not suggesting that they be removed entirely", said Deputy McGrath.

“What I am questioning, however, is the enormous costs associated with operating the Garda Safety Camera Contract. In each year from 2012-2015 it cost the State over €17m to maintain the contract with a cost of almost €16m in 2011. For the same period of 2010 to date, revenue generated by from the safety camera contract has totalled over €32m.

Deputy McGrath even suggested scrapping the service and pumping the money into the Garda Traffic Corps.

“This means that there is just over €54m in the difference between the operation of the contract and the revenue that it creates. In light of that I think we need to have a much more detailed conversation around how the money might be better spent, even in terms of robustly resourcing the Garda Traffic Corps."