Paramilitary groups are more influential in Belfast than MPs and Assembly members, according to private research carried out for Belfast City Council.
The survey, which has yet to go before a full council meeting before release, found that respondents saw the council and the Department of the Environment as the only bodies that play a more leading role in the city than paramilitaries.
A total of 1,583 residents were questioned by the council. Their answers are used by City Hall as a foundation for policy formation.
