An Garda Síochána paid a speed camera operator nearly €14.8m last year, but took in only €5.6m in speeding fines as a result.

The new details have been released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act.

Since 2010, the Gardaí have used safety cameras to try to make roads safer, using the service provider GoSafe to operate them on their behalf.

Go Safe’s high-visibility vans monitor vehicles speed throughout the country, with at least 7,400 enforcement hours in various counties every month.

But the State pays the company far more than it takes in from its speed fines.

Between 2017 and 2019, the Gardaí paid GoSafe more than €44m – but the revenue generated in fines from its detections was only €18.1m

That is a ‘loss’ of nearly €26m.

Last year, Gardaí got nearly €5.6m in fines from Go Safe detections – the lowest amount in the past three years.

The Gardaí say the primary purpose of high-visibility enforcement activity is not to generate money but to save lives.