159.— (1) The Minister may, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, direct the Authority to wind-up, where there is only one scheme, the scheme or, where there is more than one scheme, all schemes, and the Fund established under section 157 and to pay to the Minister any monies remaining in respect of the Fund. The Minister shall pay to RTÉ any such monies paid to him or her.

(2) Where the Minister directs that the scheme or all schemes, as the case may be, and the Fund be wound up in accordance with subsection (1), he or she shall upon being satisfied that the scheme has or the schemes have and the Fund has been wound up in accordance with that subsection, by order (in this section referred to as a “dissolution order”) dissolve the scheme or schemes and the Fund.

(3) Upon the commencement of a dissolution order no further scheme may be made under section 154.

(4) (a) A dissolution order shall be laid before each of the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as practicable after it is made.

(b) Either House of the Oireachtas may, by resolution passed within 21 sitting days after the day on which a dissolution order was laid before it in accordance with paragraph (a), pass a resolution annulling the order.

(c) The annulment under paragraph (b) of a dissolution order takes effect immediately on the passing of the resolution concerned, but does not affect anything that was done under the order before the passing of the resolution.