Residents of the Longboat Quay apartments in Dublin are now facing the possibility of eviction after turning down a joint offer from Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) and Nama.

It is believed that the offer was somewhere in the region of €1.75 million, which would go towards the cost of fixing fire defects in the complex.

The almost 900 residents of the complex issued a statement last night saying the offer was “wholly unacceptable” and that it was not enough to allow work to begin on the building.

A new Fire Safety Notice was issued by Dublin Fire Brigade’s chief fire officer on Thursday night specifying remedial work which must be undertaken to avoid an evacuation order.

The complex was built by developer Bernard McNamara in 2006, but his company Gendsong went into receivership sometime after.

The problems that can be found in the apartment complex are very similar to those that were found in the Priory Hall Complex, which was evacuated in 2011.

Claire Cummings, a resident on the south block said: “Personally, I think rejecting the proposal was the right thing to do. The DDDA cannot just walk away and wash their hands off us. They are responsible for the common areas and as such need to step up to the plate and at least begin negotiating with the management company so that we can try to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”

Louise Purcell, another resident in the complex, agreed with Ms Cummings and said: “We are the victims here. Most people’s circumstances have changed since they purchased their homes and they would not even qualify for a loan to fund the required works.

“It’s an absolute disgrace that there are people responsible for this mess and they can’t be penalised for it. Instead, they are trying to bully working class people who are rearing families into paying,” added Ms Purcell.

The situation at Longboat Quay made its way into Leader’s Questions in the Dáil on Wednesday when Sinn Féin Deputy Leader – Mary Lou McDonald – quizzed Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the matter.

The Taoiseach responded immediately saying he is “on top on this particular crisis”.