Gardaí question teenager over damage to speed camera that fined almost 1,000 drivers in a month

GARDAÍ HAVE QUESTIONED a teenage boy for damaging a new fixed speed camera that saw fines issued to almost 1,000 drivers in its first month of operation.

Investigators believe the boy used a tractor to knock out the system.

The incident happened on 31 December last but The Journal understands the youth was questioned by gardaí investigating the incident more recently.

The camera was located on the N17, a national primary road.

Sources have said that gardaí are investigating if the boy acted alone. 

The camera was one of three that entered use on 20 December, just eleven days before the attack. It’s one of a programme of nine speed cameras announced last year, in locations selected based on fatal and serious injury collision data from the last seven years, as well as speed data.

The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, brought up the incident in his monthly briefing to the Policing Authority in January.

He said that between the date when three of the cameras went live and 16 January 2025, a total of 1,760 speeders were detected by the devices.

He said that tickets have been sent through the fixed charge notice system.

“Additionally, Gardaí are investigating criminal damage to one of those static speed safety cameras at the N17 on 31 December 2024. The damage was repaired and the device is operational again,” Harris said last month.

The static speed camera located on the N17. Garda Press Office Garda Press Office

Statistics released by An Garda Síochana show that the Mayo camera system was the most successful of the three new units. Its detections resulted in 967 speed fines. It was followed by the unit in Killyverry Co Donegal at 750 and the Co Galway unit at Auberry recorded just 43 motorists.  

Speed cameras a ‘key strategy’

So far this year, 17 people have been killed on Irish roads, according to Garda data.

Ten drivers of cars lost their lives, four pedestrians, two motorcyclists and one passenger in a car. 

The level of deaths is down on the same period for last year, when 25 people lost their lives on the roads from New Years Day to 11 February. 

During his recent appearance at the Policing Authority the Garda Commissioner said that automated speed camera detections were a key strategy for the organisation.

Last week, new speed limits were introduced across Ireland’s rural local roads, marking what the government hopes will be a significant step towards improving road safety and reducing fatalities.

Speed limits on many local roads have now been reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h, as part of a broader initiative to tackle the number of road deaths and injuries.

There are plans to reduce the speed limit on National Roads from 100km/hr to just 80km/hr. 

The changes that came in last week have mainly impacted rural local roads – narrower roads in less-densely populated areas of the country.

The RSA emphasised that the change is all about “making roads safer” for all road users.

With rural roads often being narrower and less populated, the risk of serious accidents is higher, especially when drivers are travelling at higher speeds.