A Government advisory group has recommended that several hundred accident blackspots around the country be targeted by a privatised mobile speed camera system.
In a recently completed report, which is to go to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Minister for Transport Martin Cullen in the next few weeks, the group has also advised that the system should be operated in its entirety by a private company, from the operation of the cameras through to the processing of fines and issuing of penalty points.
However, the Garda should retain control of what roads and areas the new speed cameras should target, and that the cameras should target collision-prone locations, as opposed to major dual carriageways and motorway routes where accident rates have been low.
The report, compiled by a working group of civil servants from the Departments of Justice and Transport, the National Roads Authority and the Garda, also stipulates that the system should not be self-financing.
It is seen as an essential measure to comply with the official Government target of carrying out 11.1 million speed checks a year, roughly five times the current rate.
Instead any money raised from fines should go directly to the Exchequer, and the speed camera system should be financed directly from the Government.
More than 200 such accident blackspots have already been identified by the Garda, in conjunction with the National Roads Authority as part of the plans for the system.
Further audits of the locations would be carried out by gardaí before any private cameras would be deployed.
It is envisaged that the Garda Traffic Corps, established earlier this year, would maintain high-visibility anti-speeding operations on main routes, along with operations aimed at dangerous driving and other infringements.
The report also recommends that the cameras should be mobile as opposed to being in fixed locations to increase the number of roads that can be covered, along with improving the effectiveness of the system.
It is envisaged that the cameras would be mounted in small vans operating in a covert manner, similar to unmarked Garda speed detection cars.
They would also be placed in vans for high-visibility operations.
However, operators of the cameras would have no powers to stop speeding vehicles.
Fines would be issued by post instead, similar to the limited, fixed camera system that is currently in operation.
The Minister for Justice, who has received an outline of the report, is expected to bring the proposals to Cabinet before the summer holidays.
Legislation will still be needed to implement the regulations, which would be expected later this year if the Government agrees to the plans.
Both the Minister for Transport, who would be responsible for introducing the legislation, and Mr McDowell have already signalled their preference for the privatisation of the cameras.
This was recommended in the Government's Road Safety Strategy, which aims to reduce the number of road deaths in Ireland.
The report envisages that 11.1 million speed checks would take place every year in the State, or that a driver would expect to go through a speed check every two months at least.
The number of cars that pass through speed checks at present is estimated to be less than three million a year. At present the Garda operates three fixed speed cameras rotated around 20 locations, eight unmarked vans and cars and 368 speed guns.
Meanwhile gardaí have mounted one of the most extensive anti-speeding and drink-driving campaigns of the year, which will continue to early Tuesday morning.
The campaign, headed by the newly appointed Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Garda Traffic Corps, Eddie Rock, includes speed checks on all main routes and involves more than 600 officers.
Five people were killed on the roads during the same period last year.