The extra €1.2m for GoSafe, which provides and operates safety cameras in Ireland, follows an agreement between justice minister Helen McEntee and Garda commissioner Drew Harris.

The funding will increase monitoring hours by the GoSafe cameras by 20 per cent, or an extra 1,500 hours per month until the end of this year. It will bring the number of GoSafe hours up to 9,000 per month.

Mrs McEntee will meet with minister Jack Chambers later this week to discuss road safety issues following an increase in road traffic fatalities this year.

“We have all been shocked by recent loss of life on our roads, and concerned by the worrying increase in road fatalities this year after many years of progress in making our roads safer,” the minister said.

“I have been discussing the issue with commissioner Harris and minister Chambers and this additional funding will be used to increase the number of speed cameras in operation on our roads.

“Enforcement and deterrence are key for increasing road safety, but they must also be accompanied by greater education and awareness-raising, as well as looking at what more we can do across government to bring down the number of deaths on our roads.”