DONEGAL'S garda chief has strongly defended figures which show that local gardai received the highest average overtime of any division outside of Dublin in 2005

The division's 411 rank and file gardai, sergeants, and inspectors were paid almost 2.6 million euro in overtime in 2005, according to recently obtained figures.

The figures, which are the most recent available, also reveal that there are 312 people for every garda in the county which is one of the highest proportions in Ireland.

The revelations were obtained through the Freedom of Information process and were published in a report by Aiden Corkery in the Farmer's Journal.

Despite the fact that the county had one of the highest proportions of gardai and a relatively low crime rate, our gardai had one of the lowest serious crime detection rates in the country.

However, Chief Superintendent Terry McGinn, strongly defended the division's performance and said the figures did not take into account the impact the border has on policing in Donegal such as cross border crime.

"The large number of fatal accidents in 2005 (27) all required extensive investigation," Supt McGinn said.

She also pointed out that overtime had to be paid to gardai attending the Morris Tribunal, while further overtime had to be paid to gardai who had to fill in for them. She concluded that, from an overall detection rate of 33 per cent in 2005, the division's detection rate increased to 41 per cent in 2006.

Letterkenny gardai, including gardai, sergeants and inspectors, were paid the highest amount of overtime which amounted to more than one million euro.

Rank and file gardai in Letterkenny were paid almost 800,000 euro.

Meanwhile, gardai in the Ballyshannon district were paid 576,000 euro.

The five Inspectors in the county were paid 106,030 euro in overtime which amounted to an average payment of 21,206.