Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and Eileen Paisley are to be appointed to the British House of Lords in a list of new working peers expected to be announced next week.
Mrs Paisley, wife of the DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley, expects to be joined in the House of Lords by two party colleagues, lord mayor of Belfast Wallace Brown and party chairman Maurice Morrow.
All four have been expecting elevation to the Lords since soon after last year's general election in the long-awaited list of working peers delayed by the "loans for peerages" controversy which has caused huge embarrassment to British prime minister Tony Blair and the Labour Party.
Rumours circulating last weekend at Westminster suggested that Mr Blair might be forced to scrap the list altogether, as talks proceed between the major parties about the issue of party political funding.
However, authoritative sources last night confirmed that the Northern Ireland list at least would be confirmed next week.
The announcement will see the DUP represented in the Lords for the first time, in recognition of its status as the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland and currently the fourth largest party in the House of Commons.
Dr Paisley was appointed to the Privy Council earlier this year.