Legal challenges and "politicians objecting" are threatening delivery of adequate housing, an Oireachtas committee will be warned today.

The Oireachtas Housing Committee is currently debating the Planning and Development Bill that will overhaul the country's planning system under housing minister Darragh O'Brien.

The general scheme of the legislation is the culmination of more than a year of work by the recently retired attorney general, Paul Gallagher, and aims to streamline the planning process.

Director of housing and planning at the Construction Industry Federation Conor O'Connell will tell the committee that the decision-making process needs to be sped up.

In his opening remarks to the committee Mr O'Connell will say: "We have seen objections based on the claim from individuals that their houses may be devalued.

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"We have seen objections to housing from organisations or individuals living several hundred kilometres away from the site. We have seen politicians objecting to housing that at the same time are calling for more housing.

"This simply cannot continue if we are serious about an inclusive and harmonious society where the provision of housing is facilitated by the state with appropriate legislation and procedures."

One controversial aspect of the legislation - opposed by the Green Party - is that it will limit the criteria on who can take judicial reviews.

Mr O'Connell will tell the committee that more than 70,000 housing units are awaiting a decision with An Bord Pleanála and in the courts, noting that a judicial review of homes already granted permission is adding between €10,000-€20,000 per unit.

"The old expression that 'time is money' has never been more appropriate in the current economic environment as increases in the cost of materials, the rising interest rates and other factors means that the extraordinary long delays being currently experienced in the planning and legal system results in more costs being added to a new home."

Mr O'Connell will also tell the committee that he estimates that there is a shortage of zoned land to build on.

"To deliver more homes we need more zoned land, more infrastructure, more planning permissions and of course a viable/affordable product that can be funded. It is not an exaggeration to state that many house builders trying to deliver housing units are concerned they many run out of permissions in areas of high demand later in 2023.

"The situation in relation to the resourcing of the planning system and the timelines for decision making are at a critical juncture," he will say.

Under the proposed legislation, local authority development plans would in future be made once every 10 years, with provision for a review every five years. The plans would be streamlined with national strategies such as the National Planning Framework, the National Development Plan, regional spatial planning and EU directives around habitats and biodiversity.

The CIF also wants land that is zoned for housing to have an "assumption of permission prior to an application being made" in other to facilitate development.

Director of Property Industry Ireland, Dr David Duffy will tell the committee that the uncertainty in the planning process is impacting on delivery of housing.

"Delays or uncertainty in the planning process can directly impact the viability of new home delivery, either directly through planning applications or the approval of key infrastructure," he will tell the committee.

"There is currently too much uncertainty and a high level of risk in terms of outcomes in the planning system, especially when legal challenges are taken into consideration. This is making the funding and delivery of multi-housing developments and important infrastructure considerably more difficult, including energy and services."

Dr Duffy will also tell the committee that the way estimates are devised for housing need must also change. He will add: "Demographic forecasting is a very helpful tool in trying to estimate housing need. However, we know that the population projections on which the housing targets are based need to be revised based on Census 2022. This needs to happen with greater urgency."