There is no need for panic among the Taoiseach and his Ministers. Remember, there is a branch of MABS in Lombard Street, just a few minutes' walk from Leinster House. Ample parking for state cars is available.
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service will be able to give Bertie and his colleagues all the help they need in the run-up to Christmas. It is never nice to suffer a financial setback during this time of the year, but at least for members of the Government, it is only a temporary blip.
Everything will be back to normal by this time next year. Call it delayed gratification, but in the case of Bertie and the Ministers, money delayed is definitely not money denied.
One season of hardship is not too much to endure if it means showing solidarity with the workers, who are tightening their belts at the Government's behest.
Little Rocco and Jay may not get Tiffany rattles from Grandda Bertie this year, but we all must pay the price of an economic downturn. Brown Thomas may have to put staff on short time, but even highly-paid Ministers have to make sacrifices.
This is calling showing leadership and good example.
The working man will be ecstatic today.
It was in the middle of a routine reply to a question about social partnership yesterday that the Taoiseach decided to slip in the news that he is deferring his Government's massive pay rise to next September.
Recommendations phased in . . . Work done professionally . . . disregarding the private sector . . . other linkages made. . . . November exchequer figures not good . . . benchmarking report awaited . . . national finances in a tighter position . . . taking everything into account . . . Government's view not to go with phasing previously looked at . . . Zzzzzz.
Then Bertie, with his big innocent face on him, tried to move on. No chance.
"Go back a few steps," barked Fine Gael's Jim O'Keeffe, springing to attention like a grey-haired pointer. "Run that by me again," yapped Brian Hayes, sniffing the air.
Bertie explained again, as only he can. Yes indeed, he is deferring his €38,000 pay rise. More guff, this time about spreading the cost over 11 years.
The decision, made that morning, had nothing to do with U-turns or restless backbenchers or raging citizens or revolting trade union negotiators.
"We wanted to give a good example of our goodwill," remarked Bertie, cool as you like.
His Ministers went out to massage the news.
Minister Dermot Ahern seemed to be under the impression that the deferred pay increase (€26,000 in his case) was the first in over a decade. Of course, there were the "standard increases" everybody gets, and yes, there were the benchmarking awards. But he didn't seem to think they count.
So he was reminded that he and his colleagues got a 7.5 per cent increase from the pay review group two years ago.
"Well, I can't remember that." Lucky Dermot if an increase of that size went over his head.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny was out on the plinth before Dermot. "I think it's a complete sham," he thundered. "It's nothing but a charade and a veneer and a shame and it means that everyone is going to get paid." Pure hypocrisy, was his assessment of the decision to defer the rise. Only a month ago, such a U-turn was dismissed out of hand by Bertie Ahern as meaningless "smokes and daggers". Those words were thrown back at Minster Mary Hanafin, who was wheeled out to do the explaining on the news.
Mary took the biscuit when she came out with the line that Government Ministers have to be well paid, so that they are not "susceptible to outside interference". Perish the thought. If only Bertie had been paid more when he was minster for finance, he mightn't be in the trouble he finds himself in today.
But we must not play Scrooge. Congratulations to the Cabinet for deferring their pay increase for nine months. As a heroic Hanafin (subsisting on €214,000) pointed out, next year's €26,000 rise will not be backdated.