Three out of four people in Northern Ireland want prisoner releases halted or at least slowed down in the face of an increasing number of paramilitary-style "punishment" beatings and shootings, a Belfast Telegraph poll has found.
Fifty-two per cent of the population - 79 per cent of Protestants and 23 per cent of Catholics - want the release of paramilitary prisoners completely stopped, while 23 per cent - 13 per cent of Protestants and 33 per cent of Catholics - support a slowing down of the scheme.
Only 12 per cent want to see prisoner releases continued, a fall of 9 per cent since the last poll in February this year, when 23 per cent backed the programme.
Even among Sinn Fein voters, support for releases has fallen from 75 per cent to 51 per cent.
Since the releases started a year ago, 290 paramilitary prisoners have walked free under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. Another 200 are due for release over the next 10 months, while almost 90 will be released on July 28th, 2000, the last day of the scheme.
Despite the difficulties of the past 15 months, there is still overall support for the agreement, although the margin has fallen considerably.
According to yesterday's poll, 73 per cent of those who voted Yes in last year's referendum would still vote in favour, with 14 per cent now voting No and 12 per cent unsure.
Applied to last year's referendum result, the Yes vote would now be 64 per cent at best.
The First Minister-designate's approval rating has fallen from 57 per cent to 41 per cent in the last six months. Mr David Trimble's support has declined most sharply among SDLP voters. Only 37 per cent of them approve of him now compared to 70 per cent in February, an indication that he is blamed for Mr Seamus Mallon's resignation.
Half of all Protestants - 63 per cent of Ulster Unionists but only 35 per cent of DUP supporters - think Mr Trimble is doing a good or very good job.
Regarding Sinn Fein's suitability for government and its ability to achieve IRA decommissioning, 68 per cent of Catholics think the party has shifted its position sufficiently to join the executive, while 75 per cent of Protestants feel it has not.
On the question of decommissioning, 49 per cent of Catholics think Sinn Fein can persuade the IRA to hand over its arms by May 2000, while 45 per cent of Protestants think the party will fail. The poll was conducted during the last week of August.