Published Friday, 09 October 2009
It comes after a package to fund the move was brokered during late night talks in Downing Street on Thursday.
The Prime Minister is to provide written confirmation of his financial blueprint to the parties on Monday, a move which will coincide with the arrival of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
A government source said excellent progress had been made in the talks and said putting a financial package together at the end of negotiations was a major development.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness emerged from four hours of talks at No. 10 on Thursday night at around midnight and said major progress had been made.
"What I believe now is that we can be very pleased at the outcome that we have had tonight," he said.
"I think that from our perspective we have now arrived at the point where we can say with some considerable confidence that we have brought these discussions to a successful conclusion."
'Solid deal'
But Mr Robinson again said his main consideration was securing a solid financial deal. He said he would now hold meetings in Northern Ireland to ensure the government's offer met the needs of the region's justice system.
"I've been in many sets of negotiations and we will want to be sure that the issues that we have discussed are interpreted and expressed in the communication in the way that we would expect, and then colleagues are going to have to make a judgment based on the proposition."
Leader of the hard-line Traditional Unionist Voice Jim Allister has hit out at the prospect of a DUP deal with Sinn Fein.
"For Traditional Unionists devolving policing and justice is not a mere matter of money, it is about the much deeper issue of the folly of gifting such vital and sensitive issues to an Executive and Assembly where IRA/Sinn Fein - the party which still justifies their IRA's murder of policemen and judges - holds the power of veto," he said.
UTV political editor Ken Reid has said he believes the details of the plans will be presented to the DUP and Sinn Fein on Monday: "Significantly that is the day that US Secretary of State is due in Belfast."
"There does appear to be real progress. I think that the British government had significantly improved its offer, presenting a package which was attractive to all involved, but the problem is will Peter Robinson be able to sell that to his party? We'll know that better next week."