Speeding fines quashed over camera location error

Hundreds of drivers in the Republic of Ireland have escaped fines and penalty points due to a mistake in processing a speed camera's location.

An Garda Síochána (Irish police) said a total of 914 speeding fines issued to drivers for offences on the N25 road in County Kilkenny are being revoked.

They were detected by a static speed safety camera between 30 May and the end of June.

A gardaí spokesperson said the fines have been overturned because of "human error when inputting the offence location onto the processing system".

Some drivers had paid the fine and been issued with penalty points before gardaí became aware of the error on 30 June.

Gardaí said they are now in the process of writing to those drivers.

"This error is very much regretted," Ch Supt David Harrington said.

He added: "An Garda Síochána is very conscious of our statutory responsibility for road safety and is committed to delivering a professional policing service to enforcement of speeding via a variety of speed safety cameras."

Earlier this year almost 2,000 Irish motorists had fines and penalty points quashed after their speeding was detected by an uncertified speed camera.

Some 1,871 drivers who were caught speeding on the N17 in County Mayo late last year had fixed charge notices overturned.