Kidnap victim Ms Helen Judge spent a second day recuperating in Louth County Hospital in Dundalk yesterday, as gardaí waited to interview her about her 48-hour ordeal.
Insp Ray McHugh, Garda spokesman, said Ms Judge's medical condition was everyone's priority. Gardaí would put no pressure on her to talk to them until doctors felt she was ready.
Ms Judge was kidnapped from her home in Allenwood, Co Kildare late on Sunday or early on Monday. After gardaí received a tip-off, she was found in Jenkinstown Wood, in Co Louth, at 5.30 a.m. on Wednesday.
A team of 60 officers is working on the case, with officers based in Kildare, Louth and other parts of the State.
This may be reduced to some 40 officers next week unless something unexpected happens.
Insp McHugh said gardaí were pleased with their progress.
"We have a lot of information and we've got a lot of help from the public. There are a lot of leads. We are very happy with the progress of the investigation."
He refused to comment on reports that the abduction may have been connected with the business interests of Ms Judge's husband, Mr Liam Judge.
Mr Judge is involved in the haulage business and spends much of his time abroad. He has not lived permanently at home for some 18 months.
Gardaí rejected a media report yesterday claiming a ransom had been paid to secure Ms Judge's release.
"That definitely did not happen," one Garda source said.
"For a start, there's no way they would have got that sort of money together in such a short space of time."
A €200,000 ransom was sought by the kidnappers when Ms Judge's son rang her mobile phone after discovering she was missing.
The kidnappers turned the mobile phone off shortly afterwards, and it is understood that it has not been found yet.
It is likely that the phone was abandoned as the kidnappers would not want their whereabouts traced through the phone's signal.
Groups such as criminal gangs, drug barons and former paramilitaries have all been linked with the kidnapping, separately and together, at various times in recent days.
Insp McHugh said the only concrete motive gardaí still had to follow was the ransom demand.
"We would not make any comment, good or bad, in relation to all that speculation," he said.
