But the debate appears to be shifting from whether the transfer should happen to when it should happen.

And the gap between the Protestant and Catholic communities on the timetable for the devolution of policing and justice is less than might have been imagined.

A total of 43% overall said criminal justice and policing should be devolved to a local Assembly when there is sufficient confidence in local communities.

And that scenario was supported by 46% of Protestants and 39% of Catholics questioned on the issue.

In an Ipsos MORI poll for this newspaper in March, a majority - 58% - were in favour of policing and justice powers being devolved, with just over a third opposing.

That figure is now rising - with 73% overall in favour.

However, only 19% overall supported the formal transfer of powers to the local administration by the Governments' target date of May next year, contained in the St Andrews Agreement.

The official deadline has the support of just 17% of Protestants and 21% of Catholics (29% of Sinn Fein supporters and 24% SDLP).

A total of 19% of Protestants - and only 6% of Catholics - say policing and justice should never be devolved to the Stormont regime.

Half of DUP supporters and 45% of Ulster Unionist supporters say responsibility should be devolved when there is enough public confidence - against 39% of Sinn Finn supporters and 35% of SDLP supporters.

Policing and justice will be among the most prominent issues when the Executive and Assembly returns from its summer recess - its honeymoon period evaporating.

Westminster will only formally move the powers when the Assembly requests it should do so and that will require cross- community support, which will not be forthcoming in the short term.

MLAs have, however, passed a procedural motion calling on the Assembly and power-sharing Executive to report on the work needed in relation to policing and justice by the end of February next year.

Ulster Unionist Party Assemblyman David Burnside asked why the motion was being brought forward when there was no demand in the community for the devolution of policing and justice. But he earned rebukes from Speaker William Hay and DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who is chairing the Assembly committee on the issue, for raising the issue on what was a purely procedural matter.