asked the Minister for Justice the number of radar speed detectors at present in operation (a) in the country and (b) in Dublin.
24.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Speed Limits.
23.
asked the Minister for Justice how effective are the measures at present employed to enforce speed limits.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 23 and 24 together.
The Gardaí operate four radar meters in the Dublin Metropolitan Area and one in each of the 18 Garda Divisions outside Dublin. The number will be nearly doubled within the next month. In addition, 60 Garda cars and 12 Garda motorcycles are fitted with precision radar speedometers suitable for use in speed limit enforcement; 29 other vehicles are being fitted with them at the moment and all new vehicles obtained for the Force will be fitted with them.
How effective the enforcement of the speed limits is is a matter of opinion. It is the view, generally, of the Garda authorities and, I think, of the majority of people who take an interest in these things and who are reasonably competent to assess speed, that the standard of compliance with speed limits is fairly good, by which I mean that such evasion as takes place seldom involves gross disregard for the limits. On the other hand, there are over 900 prosecutions per month, on the average, for breaches of the speed limits, not to mention more than 1,000 cautions each month, on average, for very minor cases. The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Local Government has already announced his intention to review the limits in certain cases and I think we may reasonably hope that this review will have a beneficial effect on the general standard of compliance with the limits.
Did the Minister say there were 900 prosecutions per month in respect of speed limit offences?
Yes. There is a remarkable lack of interest among the press in regard to it but those are the facts.
The Minister still says the situation is very satisfactory, despite that?
There are practically 100,000 motorcars in the country.
You will not be long catching them all.
Is that not the whole purpose of the exercise?
Ten thousand a year.