The average worker in the Republic takes just 35 minutes for lunch, according to a new survey.

This represents a drop of four minutes since a similar survey was conducted two years ago.

The shortening in the amount of time taken for lunch reflects the trend in Northern Ireland and in Britain, though people there take less time over lunch than in the Republic.

The Eurest Lunchtime Report shows that workers in Northern Ireland take an average of 31 minutes for lunch, while in Britain the amount of time taken is just 27 minutes.

A similar survey in France found workers there take as long over lunch as their counterparts in the Republic.

Eurest is a multinational provider of catering services to the business, industrial and state sectors.

In the Republic it operates under the names of Management Catering Services and Eurest, has 1,500 staff, and an annual turnover of €77 million.

The parent company is Compass Group plc.

The survey, which involved 350 respondents in the Republic, found that four out of five Irish workers take a daily lunch break, compared to just more than half in Britain.

The average spend in the Republic on lunch is €4.

A quarter of respondents in the Republic said they bring a packed lunch to work, compared with 47 per cent in Northern Ireland.

Tea is the number one drink for lunch amongst Irish workers, with 64 per cent choosing it in the Republic and 44 per cent in Northern Ireland. Mineral water came second.

The percentage of workers who have a soft drink has dropped from 13 per cent two years ago to 3 per cent in 2004.

Only 1 per cent said they took an alcoholic drink during their lunch break.

The survey found that 5 per cent of workers in the Republic like to take a nap during lunchtime.