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Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

In numbers: Thousands more drivers caught speeding

Almost 100,000 drivers have been given penalty points so far this year after new speed cameras were introduced.

THE NUMBER OF drivers caught speeding has risen sharply since last year, with almost 100,000 motorists receiving penalty points in the first six months alone.

Figures provided by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar show some councils penalised more drivers in the first six months of the year alone than in the whole  of 2010. It’s believed the rise is due to the introduction of ‘GoSafe’ speed cameras – see here for a map of their locations – which were reported in April to have led to a tripling in the number of speeders caught.

The statistics were given in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Joe McHugh. Here are some of the key numbers:

  • 95,640 drivers penalised in the first half of this year – already almost three-quarters of the 2010 total of 131,214
  • 3,708 drivers caught in Clare to June this year
  • 2,817 drivers caught in Clare over the whole of 2010
  • 19,985 drivers caught in Dublin this year
  • 2,944 drivers caught in Leitrim, Sligo, Monaghan and Longford combined

However, the totals did not increase everywhere. In Sligo, just 856 motorists have been given penalty points so far this year, whereas 2,699 were caught out during 2010. There was a similar situation in Leitrim, which penalised 489 drivers to June against 1,127 last year.

Mr McHugh told the Irish Times he welcomed the increase in penalty points handed out. However, he raised concerns about the locations of some cameras, saying: “There has been a few at entrances of towns and villages that are causing consternation.”

See our interactive map of speed camera locations across Ireland >

Read more: More drivers caught thanks to private speed cameras >

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26 Comments
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    Mute bruce banner
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:26 PM

    They will go up regardless now thats its been talked about

    222
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    Mute and the hit's just keep coming
    Favourite and the hit's just keep coming
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:02 PM

    @bruce banner: i was just thinking the same…..its the next big excuse to be used…… It will make a change from everything costing 50%more because of Brexit and the war in Ukraine excuse

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    Mute John Moore
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    Mar 14th 2025, 7:18 PM

    @bruce banner: Exactly. All companies need id s whiff of an excuse and they jack up the price to twice what any increase would be. It was already shown in a large study in America that 50% of all price increases during the covid affected inflationary period were just pure profiteering.

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    Mute Ross McAndrew
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:30 PM

    Another golden opportunity to fleece us

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:32 PM

    @Ross McAndrew: or an opportunity to find the Golden Fleece

    26
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    Mute Donal
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:39 PM

    @Ross McAndrew:
    Don’t allow anyone to fleece you
    All you have to do don’t purchase
    very simple but everyone must do it
    You will have no impact if just a few people do it

    49
    See 1 more reply ▾
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    Mute Ross McAndrew
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:57 PM

    @Donal: that’s true, good advice too :)

    61
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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:11 PM

    If this puts an extra €5 on Jack Daniel’s,it will now make it €24.99 a bottle. Do ya know what,I don’t care. I’m still gonna buy it,and party like it’s €19.99

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    Mute Bill h
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:16 PM

    @Larry Betts: excellent

    34
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    Mute BL Music
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:54 PM

    We criminally pay more for everything in Ireland than the rest of the eu . Insurance. / energy / mortgage … you name it , we pay more for everything.
    The Irish government NEVER address this imbalance? Why ?

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Mar 13th 2025, 8:16 PM

    @BL Music: because they’re the cause/beneficiary of it.

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    Mute Derek Elliott
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:51 PM

    Let the gouging begin!

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:30 PM

    “The EU has threatened before to place 50% tires on American whiskey,” I wonder if this is the cause of inflation if they continue to pump up the prices…..

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    Mute Shirley Shillelagh - Thurles Drag Queen
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    Mar 12th 2025, 5:46 PM

    @Larry Betts: wrong thread

    4
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    Mute Be Lucky
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:50 PM

    The world is a con and an illusion. Why they think this is the best system for the people who vote for them to represent us makes no sense.

    When they could put a system in place that still lines their pockets but at the same time makes our everyday lives better.

    23
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    Mute William Jennings
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:55 PM

    Just when I thought that the EU had run out of ways to screw businesses and lair on more extra costs, they come out with this nonsense. You don’t put out a fire by adding more gasoline to it. By doing reciprocal tariffs, all they are doing is feeding into Trump’s narrative that they are engaging in unfair trading practices and that his tariff increases are justified. The EU already slaps a 10% tariff on cars, a 50% tariff on dairy products, a 20% tariff on cereal grains, a 25% tariff on alcoholic beverages and a 25% tariff on steel + aluminium among other American products. The EU should be looking to get Trump to the negotiating table to discuss a reduction in tariffs, not provoking him further. This is one of the things that I hate about the EU. They are economically illiterate.

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    Mute Stephen Byrne
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    Mar 13th 2025, 5:35 AM

    @William Jennings: Whats the avg weighted EU tariff William? What’s the US’s? I’ll tell you. It’s 1.6% for the EU and 1.61% for the US as per World Bank. As I have explained to you before, the EU imposes a tariff of 10% on imported cars to protects its manufacturers as cars are the big selling vehicles in the EU. The US on the other hand is 2.5% but cars are not big sellers in the US. It’s mainly pick ups/4x4s/SUVs. The US imposes a 25% tariff on these. So I’m sure you agree 25% is larger than 10% therefore it’s the US that is screwing others over, right? And I’m sure in any negotiations Trump would lower this tariff right? No he wouldn’t because he wants to protect American manufacturers.

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:41 PM

    Everything is priced to they think society is prepared to pay. If it’s overpriced it doesn’t sell.

    16
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    Mute Gerry Conway
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    Mar 12th 2025, 7:33 PM

    We need government price controls.The ‘coalition’ are clueless and don’t give a damn about the mess they have and continue to make of our once proud nation. They have put housing out of the reach of our young( the ones that are still here!).Our ‘normal’ working population is dwindling….expect pension age to be increased to 75 shortly. How come one can purchase a perfectly habitable house in the UK for c.€150,00. In France, Spain, you can buy a house with a pool for similar money but yet in Ireland you are expected to pay the same for a rusty galvanised walls falling down cattle shed that cost even more money to dismantle it before you start the rebuild! The so called Government grants are only being added on to over inflate the buying price. Young people haven’t got a chance.

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    Mute Dere
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    Mar 12th 2025, 3:59 PM

    How to achieve net zero in a subversive way.

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    Mute Penny
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    Mar 12th 2025, 8:49 PM

    Lower taxes on gastronomy and locally produced alcohol!

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    Mute Harry Callahan
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    Mar 12th 2025, 4:51 PM

    So long as the price of condoms doesn’t rise(!!), I’ll be fine.

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Mar 12th 2025, 5:28 PM

    @Harry Callahan: If it doesn’t rise, use Viagara. If nothing else,it’ll stop you rolling out of bed in the middle of the night.

    19
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