‘‘I've spoken to the secretary [of the Department of Immigration, Martin Bowles] about that and he's written back to the [Human Rights Commissioner, Professor Gillian Triggs] and outlined what is actually occurring. ‘‘What they're working through is a process to get the best possible reporting of mental health in these facilities. ‘‘There was testimony that was given but I think it's important with this inquiry that we don't leap ahead and make a whole bunch of conclusions until that inquiry has been able to go through all its evidence and that evidence can be properly tested and the department has the opportunity to respond to what has been put at that inquiry and that's what the secretary has done and I am waiting for the outcome of that process.’’ The inquiry also heard of children swallowing detergent and other substances and banging their heads. When asked about the claim in the inquiry, Mr Bowles said he was not present when it allegedly happened.

Medical bodies, including the Australian Medical Association, the Royal Association College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, have demanded the Abbott government allow an independent group of doctors to investigate claims of mistreatment and abuse of children being held in detention. But on Sunday, Mr Morrison called for the inquiry to be able to proceed and report, saying under the Coalition 450 fewer children - a decline of 35 per cent - were being held at offshore and mainland detention centres. He defended sending 50 more Tamil children to Nauru amid complaints by asylum seeker lawyers that they were not given the chance to engage with Indian officials before deciding whether to return to India or push ahead with a claim for refugee status. Mr Morrison said lawyers wanted to ‘‘engage in a fairly protracted process’’ but his advice was that the Tamils had chosen not to take up the offer of meeting with Indian consular officials. ‘‘They had the opportunity to speak to Indian consular officials while they were in Curtin [detention centre] ... those offers were not going to be taken up, then the policy [of offshore processing] kicks in,’’ he said.

Lawyer George Newhouse, acting for the asylum seekers, denied he or his colleagues had advised the group not to meet with the Indian officials and knew nothing of the Friday night transfer to Nauru until he was alerted by media. “We have not had a proper opportunity to inform our clients of their rights and their options because of the secrecy surrounding them,” Newhouse said Mr Morrison said that two-thirds of the Tamil asylum seekers had not recently fled Sri Lanka. ‘‘They had been resident in refugee camps set up in Tamil Nadu and set up across Tamil Nadu. We had teenagers on that ship who were born in India,’’ he said. Lawyers acting for the asylum seekers said at least four families had arrived in India in the past 15 months and been unable to "register", educate their children or work, while one individual had arrived six months ago. Others had returned to Sri Lanka from India, been tortured and fled to India again. On Sunday, Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the Australian Human Rights Commission should be allowed to inspect the Nauru detention centre “as a matter of urgency” after the Tamil asylum seekers were moved there.

She questioned government claims that permission for such visits could only be granted by authorities in Nauru, saying Prime Minister Tony Abbott could intervene if he chose to. “It’s now time for the [Australian] government to allow the Human Rights Commission to inspect the detention centre on Nauru as a matter of urgency,” she said. Mr Morrison told ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday that he did not like seeing children in detention, saying "I have two children of my own and I don't want to see children going into that environment, but the policy is necessary". “The accommodation is air conditioned for children, there's play equipment, there's shaded areas for learning, there are covered areas air conditioned for the schooling. We have put considerable resources into Nauru to ensure it’s fit for families," he said. Ms Hanson-Young said Mr Morrison had the power to release all children from detention, and should do so immediately.

“The conditions are appalling, health experts are alarmed at the level of self harm, [there has been] attempted suicide and spiralling mental health concerns,” she said. “The young children in these places are suffering … because of government policy. [Mr Morrison] can act today to get them out, and he must.” - With Nicole Hasham