The number of Irish drivers handed down penalty points for speeding so far this year expected to surpass last year's total.

The increase follows the introduction of more than 600 privately operated speed cameras throughout Ireland.

In the first six months of this year, almost 96,000 drivers have received points on their license for speeding. The total figure for all of last year was just over 131,000. The figures emerged as a result of parliamentary question posed by Donegal Fine Gael deputy Joe McHugh.

Drivers nabbed with speeding tickets in Clare, Kerry, Longford, Limerick city and county, and Waterford city and county so far this year have already far exceeded figures for the whole of 2010.
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The significant increase is being attributed to the roll-out of speed cameras, a project completed in June. The new Go Safe campaign saw speed cameras offer an additional 6,000 hours of traffic monitoring per month in more than 600 locations.

Donegal Fine Gael deputy Joe McHugh welcomed the increase but questioned the location of some of the locations of the new speed cameras.

“There is genuine concern about the locations of some of the speed vans, especially those at the entrance to lower speed zones,” he told the Irish Times. “There has been a few at entrances of towns and villages that are causing consternation.”