Mallow has emerged as one of the county’s speeding hotspots, with nearly €383,000 in fines collected locally from speed vans over the past two and a half years.
Figures released to Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú show that between January 2023 and June 2025, a total of €2.9 million was collected across Cork city and county. While Cork city districts of Togher (€702,800) and Mayfield (€513,200) accounted for the largest amounts, Mallow placed fourth overall, just behind Bandon (€466,160).
Nationally, fines from speed vans generated €32.4 million during the same period. However, the cost of operating the system is high, with Gardaí paying private camera operators over €44.4 million, leaving the State effectively losing more than €9,000 a day.
Highlighting the dangers of speeding, Ms Ní Mhurchú pointed to a European Commission report showing that up to 15% of all crashes and 30% of fatal crashes are directly caused by excessive speed.
“In 2024 alone, 174 people lost their lives on Irish roads, meaning around 52 deaths were directly linked to speeding,” she said. “That’s 52 families mourning loved ones because we have failed to tackle speeding in any meaningful way.”
