Sport Ireland Chief Executive John Treacy has come out strongly against proposals to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), adding that the IOC are keen for such a move to happen.
RUSADA has been suspended since November 2015 when an investigation funded by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revealed widespread cheating in Russian athletics during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
That bleak picture was extended to more than 1,000 athletes in over 30 sports when a second investigation in 2016, led by Professor Richard McLaren, uncovered evidence of a state-sponsored doping programme.
That ultimately led to Russia being forced to send a neutral team to this year's Winter Games but pressure has been mounting on WADA to lift RUSADA's ban so the world's largest country can be fully restored to the Olympic and Paralympic fold.
WADA's independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) has delivered a recommendation to go to WADA’s Executive Committee (ExCo) for the reinstatement of RUSADA when the ExCo meets this Thursday.
On such a prospect coming to pass, Treacy told RTÉ Sport: "We think this is a very disappointing move and we are calling for this decision to be postponed
"The goalposts have been changed. They (RUSADA) were supposed to accept the McLaren report and then they said they would accept the decision of the IOC Executive Board.
"In relation to the samples in the lab, RUSADA would appear to be laying down the conditions to WADA in terms of the release of the samples.
"We think that is the wrong approach. They should be handling over these samples to WADA and let WADA pursue whatever cases they need to pursue."
Tellingly, Treacy believes that "it's the IOC who are making an attempt to reinstate Russia."
He added: "I believe the IOC are exerting influence over WADA in terms of trying to make this happen.
"We don't feel that this is meeting the obligations that was agreed previously.
"If you think about the crime that was committed here - Russia at the Winter Olympics in 2014 totally manipulated the anti-doping system that was in place. That went totally against the fundamentals of all sport.
"You have to think about all the clean athletes that are training worldwide and back then in 2014 you had a situation where Russia allowed their athletes take drugs throughout the competition and swap samples.
"That was the crime.
"This for us and for others who are trying to do our best for anti-doping worldwide are finding this hard, very hard to accept this proposal from WADA. That's why resistance is there from Sport Ireland and from other countries."
On Monday, iNADO, the organisation that represents 67 national and regional anti-doping agencies, said it is "dismayed" at the prospect of a compromise and accused WADA of trying to railroad a decision through without proper consultation.
Speaking to Press Association Sport, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) chief executive Travis Tygart said: "Some believe public acceptance of McLaren comes down to semantics but I don't buy that.
"It might be symbolic but wronged athletes deserve an apology and hearing that would mean a lot to them. If you are truly sorry you would apologise to the people you have offended and do everything you can to make good.
"Access to the Moscow lab is also absolutely fundamental. There are literally thousands of cases - presumptive positives for 4,500 athletes - that could be prosecuted.
"The Russians have agreed to hand it over and they are still playing games. It's a WADA-accredited lab just like ours and WADA make requests of us all the time that we comply with. Why are we treating them differently?
"Thursday's decision is critical for the continuing credibility of the Olympic movement - get it wrong and the public will lose faith."
