The 11-year-old Co Waterford girl, Laura Seward, who was critically injured as the Tour de France passed through the village of Grange, near Youghal, in Co Cork, last Monday, was still in a serious condition at the Cork University Hospital yesterday.
It appears an Italian rider, Frederico Di Beni (25), who is a member of the Riso Scotti team, struck the girl.
There has been local anger that after the accident he immediately resumed the Tour on a new bike provided by the back-up crew.
It is understood that the rider was questioned by French police on Wednesday and will be interviewed again today.
A transcript of the interviews will be forwarded to the Garda authorities in Youghal but it is further understood that as of now there is no question of the rider being suspended from the Tour or being brought back to Ireland for more questioning.
The legal position surrounding the accident is at best unclear. As the race passed through the village on its way to Cork, the road had been officially closed and accordingly was not a public highway.
Therefore, it is suggested, spectators who turned up to view the race did so at their own risk.
The Seward family have been extremely distressed mainly because their daughter's condition has been described widely in the international media.
A spokesperson for the Southern Health Board in Cork confirmed this yesterday but said there had been numerous queries from the media in Britain and on the Continent as to the condition of the girl.
"All we can say is that she is still in intensive care and is still in a serious condition," she added.