The first and deputy first ministers have reached agreement in principle on how to cut more than £100m from the executive budget.
Sources say the DUP and Sinn Féin are proposing to ring-fence health and education.
This is likely to mean more pain for the other 10 departments.
Most of the money is to pay Treasury fines next year, due to Stormont's failure to agree welfare reform.
Agreement on this issue should have been concluded weeks ago through what's known as the June monitoring round.
That's when the executive redirects unspent funds.
This money usually goes to other departments but this time almost £90m has to be set aside to pay the Treasury.
Westminster is demanding Stormont make up for its long-running deadlock on the issue, which means there's been no savings on Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland.
It had been proposed by the finance minister that every department take a hit of around 1.5%. But after some intense negotiations, the DUP and Sinn Féin have agreed not to take money from health and education.
A paper outlining the plans has been circulated to executive departments this afternoon.
It's anticipated that an executive meeting will be called early next week to discuss the proposals.
A formal announcement is then expected from the finance minister.
£100m budget cut agreed at Stormont
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