Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said in my initial response, there is the provision for engagement with communities through the Garda to identify areas where there is a further requirement to encourage people to drive more slowly. The introduction of the safety camera network has seen sustained improvements in driver behaviour across speed enforcement zones and in compliance with speed limits.

While I have no specific knowledge about the three parts of Galway that have been mentioned and whether there have been fatalities or serious collisions in the past, the decision regarding where to locate speed cameras or speed camera vans is based on the overriding desire to affect driver pattern, reduce speed and protect lives. The Senator mentioned emergency vehicles. My understanding is that there is provision whereby emergency vehicles that need to exceed the speed limit can have the matter corrected subsequently. It is far better for an administrative, bureaucratic exercise to be undertaken by a member of the Garda Síochána or ambulance service to identify that they were travelling to or from an emergency rather than to remove cameras that have such a very important role in encouraging driver behaviour.