An increase of 7 per cent for examination and administration costs at third-level colleges has angered students, who claimed there was no consultation.
The charges have been increased from £250 to £278 and this covers examination, registration and administration costs.
The decision to increase charges was taken by the colleges under the Universities Act, passed in 1997 when tuition fees were abolished but the cover fee was left in place.
The Union of Students in Ireland said yesterday that a framework of good practice was agreed last year by students' union representatives, the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Education. This set of guidelines on how to administer the charge within the various institutes stressed the importance of a consultative process.
The president of USI, Mr Paul Madden, said 18 months after agreeing the framework, "it would appear that students are still not consulted with respect to the money they pay".
The USI was calling on the Minister for Education to set up the Higher Education Review Group stipulated in the framework. It was imperative that students be fully involved in all negotiations on the capitation charge.
The USI education officer, Mr Ian Russell, said it was about time the Government used a level of consistency in its dealings with students. If it was a charge payable by students, the Government had no hesitation in using figures twice or three times the rate of inflation.
On the RTE Radio yesterday, the Minister for Education, Mr Martin, said under the Act the universities had the authority without requesting or needing the approval of the Minister to increase the charge.
"I just want to make it very clear that the universities made this particular increase without my approval," he said.
The Minister denied he was washing his hands of it. The Act had taken a significant amount of time to go through the Oireachtas. He was not going to go back immediately, two years after its passage, and start amending it again.
"But clearly I think unilateral increases that do not relate to the costs as identified is something that could not continue on an indefinite basis, so in that context there will be consultations between myself and the universities in relation to any future charges," the Minister said.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said students eligible for the maintenance grants under the means-tested student support scheme did not have to pay the charge.
"In this regard, some 60 per cent of certificate and diploma students in the technological sector and 40 per cent of students in the university sector are eligible for maintenance grants," he said.