The Leamy family, who live at Capparoe, close to the Silvermines tailings pond are worried about the consequences the local environment is having on their health.
Michael (37), his wife Fiona (37) and their children Patrick (5½), Hugh (4) and Mark (2), use inhalers and other aids to help them breathe.
There is no history of respiratory illnesses on either side of the family.
The Leamys believe their ailments can be attributed to the tailings pond - "a highly toxic dump that is spewing out toxins day and night".
Because of past experiences, and ill-health, the Leamy family is totally opposed to the spreading of waste sludge on the tailings pond.
Ms Fiona Leamy is unhappy about the proposals by Landfeeds Environmental Ltd to spread waste sludge on the tailings pond - which is only half a mile from her home.
"I am not happy with this because if they go ahead with the work that they propose to do, there could still be dust blows and there could be some terrible smells," said Ms Leamy, a nurse working at Limerick Regional Hospital.
"We still have the lead and cadmium blowing. What worries me is that they are cumulative minerals that build up in your organs over the years so you don't know 20 years down the road whether you could develop cancer. Cadmium is carcinogenic when it builds up in your system," said Ms Leamy.
"At the moment the three lads are suffering with their chests. That could be exasperated by the dust but I am more worried about what could happen to them in the future because of the exposure that they have had already to toxins," she said.
The effects of mining and lead pollution in the Silvermines area have hit Michael Leamy's farming business hard, he says.
However, he is more concerned about his family's health.
"I have had to live with this dust for nearly all of my lifetime and the three kids have had to live with it for all their lifetime.
"We are convinced that the lads are sick because of it and now, to make things worse, they are going to have to live with the effects of this other muck, the sludge, coming into the tailings pond on top of what is already there," Mr Leamy said.
In the past four years Mr Leamy has witnessed two animal deaths on his farm.
This has been accompanied by lead-induced sickness in part of his livestock herd.
"Out of a bunch of 17 animals last spring, 14 showed up with elevated lead levels in their systems when they were tested by the Department of Agriculture," he said.
"I am beginning to worry again now because lead always shows up in the animals during March and April.
"Usually it comes after a dry spell in the springtime, when the conditions are right."
Mr Leamy, who is the chairman of the Gortmore Tailings Management Facility (TMF) Committee, is opposed to the spreading of waste sludge on the surface of the tailings pond.
"The spread of sludge is a huge concern because this is a dump that they are talking about.
"We don't want a dump here because we have suffered enough here with toxic waste and now all they are talking about is bringing more toxins into the area," said Mr Leamy.