NORTHERN IRELAND'S First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness are preparing for a closed-session meeting tomorrow with the Assembly committee which is examining the devolution of policing and justice powers.
The pair hope the meeting could help to provide a way out of the impasse over devolution and other issues.
It follows meetings of both the DUP and the Sinn Féin ard chomhairle at the weekend at which justice devolution, education reform and other major differences between the republican and unionist parties were discussed.
Last week's scheduled Executive meeting was again cancelled, making it five months since Northern ministers met in collective cabinet session. Mr McGuinness again used his veto to block the Executive from convening.
Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness held a private meeting with British prime minister Gordon Brown last Wednesday, which prompted guarded expectations that the stand-off between Sinn Féin and the DUP could be resolved soon. Senior members of both parties were briefed over the weekend on the outcome of the talks with Mr Brown.
London, Dublin, DUP and Sinn Féin sources have all agreed that significant progress has been achieved in recent weeks following an intensive round of talks between Sinn Féin and the DUP.
"Some weeks ago we genuinely feared that there would be no resolution, and that Assembly elections would have to be called. But now we are convinced that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson genuinely want this thing settled, and are working to that end," said a senior official source.
Talks sources, however, stressed that while there had been considerable progress, there was still work to do before Sinn Féin and the DUP could sign off on a package addressing a range of matters such as policing and justice, the Irish language and education.
Tomorrow is viewed as a key moment, when Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness will address in private the Assembly committee charged with devising how policing and justice powers would be transferred to the Executive.
The governments hope the First Minister and Deputy First Minister will be in a position to provide details of a deal that will allow the Executive to resume business.