Daa Chief Executive Kenny Jacobs has called for the establishment of a strategic transportation planning unit to oversee major infrastructural projects.
Mr Jacobs said more certainty is needed on who makes planning decisions and the timelines.
Speaking at the Business Post's Economic Outlook Forum, he said the planning system in Ireland is "cumbersome".
"I’ve called it snakes and ladders in the past, because you tend to make some progress, and then someone else bounces you back to the start of the game, and it seems to be taking for years and years."
Mr Jacobs said there needs to be "more certainty in terms of how planning works".
"I would take planning out of local councils and put it into a new strategic transportation planning unit that looks at airports, ports, and they have to make decisions within 12 months."
Such a unit could be operated from within An Coimisiún Pleanála, Mr Jacobs said, and be "made up of planning experts who just look at transport, and maybe they just look at airports, but they give you decisions in a fast in a fast timeline".
"Then you don't let any other regulatory process overlap and conflict with planning," he added.
"We just need to tackle planning, reorganise some basic decisions, and do it really quickly and just give people time.
"Why can't planners have six months to make this decision, 12 months to make that decision. That's not a new concept. That's what they do all over the world."
Mr Kenny said that a similar system has been introduced by the UK government.
"I would really contrast the speed of planning in airports in Ireland with the UK, where they're putting in an application and getting shovels in the ground within 18 months.
"We are taking three to four years while still going through the planning process, and that adds uncertainty, that adds cost, that adds time."
He was speaking amid continued uncertainty over his future as chief executive of Daa, the operator of Dublin and Cork airports.
In September, an agreement was reached between Mr Jacobs and the board of directors of the semi-state company, under which he would leave his role in the new year, following a breakdown in relations between him and members of the board, which is chaired by Basil Geoghegan.
It is estimated the exit package could be in the region of €1 million, given the period of time remaining in Mr Jacobs' contract.
The agreement would require approval from Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, but that deal has still not been signed off.
While there was no reference made to his position during the panel discussion at today’s conference, Mr Jacobs did discuss the passenger cap, which is suspended by the courts.
He said that 36.5 million passengers will go through Dublin Airport this year, which will be "4.5 million more than the redundant passenger cap".
Mr Jacobs said there is airline demand for over 40 million.
"There's airports around the world [that] would bite your hand off - that situation that we have - where airline demand is greater than airport capacity.
"So, we just need to catch up. We just need faster planning. Get it fast, reorganise how we do planning, how decisions get approved, how quickly they get approved, and by whom, the amount of challenge that can be allowed."
