Gardaí say reduction in Fixed Penalty Charges 'an indication' the system is working

A reduction in Fixed Penalty Notices being issued is an indication that the system is working.

That is according to a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána in response to an article published by the Waterford News and Star, which detailed a statement made by Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchu.

In the article, Ms Ní Mhurchu questioned why revenue from speed vans across all garda districts fell by 15.9% between 2023 and 2024.

In response, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said the reduction is a result of driver behaviour change, which is the point of issuing Fixed Penalty Notices.

“An Garda Síochána 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,” said the spokesperson.

“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,” said the spokesperson.

In 2024, over 96,500 Fixed Charge Notices for speeding were issued from Mobile Safety Camera vans.

But in 2023, that number stood at approximately 110,000.

The spokesperson said that An Garda Síochána provided additional funding to increase monitoring hours from 6,000 to 9,000 hours every month.

This was in response to rising road fatalities in 2023.

“That increase has been sustained in 2024 and 2025, “directly demonstrating An Garda Síochána's and GoSafe's commitment to making our roads safer,” said the spokesperson.

The locations of Safety Camera Zones are reviewed by An Garda Síochána on a regular basis, the spokesperson said.

And the location of Safety Camera Zones is published on the Garda website.