A man in his 50s who had been arrested in connection with the murder of Tina Satchwell in Co Cork has been released without charge.
Gardaí say they are continuing to investigate "all the circumstances" surrounding her disappearance six years ago, which was yesterday upgraded to a murder investigation.
A search operation is continuing at a property in Co Cork as part of the investigation
Ms Satchwell went missing from her home in Youghal, Co Cork, in March 2017.
This morning, gardaí moved two mini-diggers, a refuse skip and a vegetation shredder onto a property in Youghal that they are searching.
The search is being conducted by members of the Garda Technical Bureau along with local gardaí, and may last a number of days.
For six-and-a-half years, gardaí have been treating the disappearance of Ms Satchwell as a missing person's investigation.
In a statement yesterday evening, gardaí said they were now treating the investigation as a murder inquiry.
Gardaí have also appointed a family liaison officer to assist Ms Satchwell's family.
They are continuing to appeal to people who may have information to contact them at Midleton Garda Station.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has stressed the need to give families hope as she commented on the developments in the case of Ms Satchwell.
"When it comes to any missing persons case, whether it's a more recent case, or whether it’s one that might be decades old, it’s so important that we always give families hope," said the minister. "And that is exactly what is happening here.
"Where new evidence comes to light gardaí obviously take that on board, but also where no new evidence comes to light, they will often ask the general public for more information, they’ll ask people to wrack their memories or their brains for anything that might help them solve a particular case that might help them identify where a person is.
"We also have advancements in technology, investments in forensic science as well where new evidence comes to light.
"So really the approach that the gardaí take is where possible they will always continue to work on a case to give families that hope to identify a person and to importantly as well bring whoever is responsible, if there is a murder case, to bring them to justice.
"And obviously, as minister, I support the gardaí in anything that they need to be able to make those discoveries."
Additional reporting Laura Fletcher
