Athletics Ireland will continue to consider sprinter Leon Reid for selection despite his criminal conviction, BBC Sport understands.
In February, the Olympian was found guilty of allowing his flat in Bristol to be used to produce crack cocaine and received a suspended sentence.
Reid, who also was ordered to do community service, later made clear his desire to resume his career.
Athletics Ireland has said it will “continue to support” Reid in 2022.
With both Athletics Ireland and Athletics Northern Ireland taking legal advice over Reid’s status, the prospects of him returning to international competition had been in some doubt.
But the Ireland governing body has now confirmed that it has made a decision to recommend that the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist should receive international funding this year, usually £15,208, but added that this was being reviewed by Sport Ireland because of the athlete’s criminal conviction.
“Leon Reid… has achieved international carding criteria and will continue to be supported in 2022,” said an Athletics Ireland statement.
“A recent Athletics Ireland high-performance panel review of this case also requires additional community service to be completed by Leon.
“Athletics Ireland is committed to the holistic support and development of all our elite athletes. We note Sport Ireland is still reviewing this decision [to fund Reid].”
Tokyo Olympic 200m semi-finalist Reid, 27, was one of 18 men charged last year with drugs and firearms offences, all of which he denied.
He was given a suspended sentence and 220 hours of unpaid work at Bristol Crown Court in February after being found guilty of allowing his premises to be used for the crack cocaine production.
Reid’s suspended sentence could rule him out of consideration for this year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, because of the United States’ travel entry rules concerning people with criminal convictions.
A packed summer of international competition also includes the Commonwealth Games, where Reid clinched a 200m bronze medal for Northern Ireland in 2018, and the European Championships in Munich.
BBC Sport understands that Northern Ireland’s Commonwealth Games Council will accept Reid’s nomination for the Birmingham event providing his name is put forward by Athletics Northern Ireland.
Reid is among the entries in both the 100m and 200m events at the Athletics Northern Ireland-organised Mary Peters Gold Anniversary Belfast International meeting on 28 May, where prospective Commonwealth Games athletes will be required to compete.
However, Reid may have a further hurdle to overcome to compete in Birmingham with the Games’ overall organising committee potentially having the power to prevent athletes from participating.
Reid was allowed to compete at last year’s Tokyo Olympics despite facing charges at that stage and went on to reach the 200m semi-finals.
The Irish sprinter made his first appearance of the season last weekend when he clocked 100m and 200m times of 10.48 and 21.40 seconds when representing club Birchfield in a National Athletics League event in Manchester.
Primarily a 200m specialist, he set his personal best of 20.27 in 2017 while still a Great Britain athlete and after winning his Commonwealth bronze in 2018, secured a switch of international eligibility to Ireland later that year shortly before reaching the final at the European Championships.
