Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I do not wish to anticipate the results of the working group's studies. By definition, fixed grey-box speed cameras produce a record of the kind in question. As there is no garda sitting inside the box, whatever it produces must constitute a record of a car and its speed. Nobody else is there to witness an offence. While the record is not furnished on the spot to the motorist, it is furnished at a later point to the registered owner of the car with the usual request where he or she was not the driver at the time of the offence to identify the driver or to accept responsibility and pay the penalty.

Deputy Jim O'Keeffe asked about costs. Mobile cameras are much more flexible in their operation. A number of commercial concerns have shown me their wares in an effort to interest me in the matter and I can inform the Deputy that a wide variety of technologies are available. There are a significant number of commercial operators with systems to offer.

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